This auction has ended. View lot details
You may also be interested in
Lot 44
John Ford Clymer(1907-1989)Lords of the Plains 15 x 30in
25 November 2019, 12:00 PST
Los AngelesUS$100,000 - US$150,000
Looking for a similar item?
Our California Art specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistAsk about this lot
John Ford Clymer (1907-1989)
Lords of the Plains
signed and dated 'John Clymer CA © 1987' (lower right), titled (on the backing)
oil on canvas
15 x 30in
Painted in 1987.
signed and dated 'John Clymer CA © 1987' (lower right), titled (on the backing)
oil on canvas
15 x 30in
Painted in 1987.
Footnotes
Of the present work, Clymer wrote, 'The White River Country of South Western South Dakota and North Western Nebraska was a real Indian Paradise in the early 1800s, full of good game for hunting and good camping places. With the acquisition of the horse the Sioux of the White River Country became the Lords of the Plains. In the picture a nomadic family group are moving across the plains in North Western Nebraska traveling in preparation for their fall hunt.'
Lord of the Plains is a moment often left undocumented by artists. The Sioux led a life seeded with great drama but here Clymer paints a quiet moment of comradery. The four central figures are in conversation — the second from right is clearly speaking with his mouth open while the fourth figure in the horned headdress smiles in response. The horses are at ease moving at a comfortable pace while the dogs lope along in company. As is typical the men are unencumbered by baggage and their weapons at hand should the need arise to defend the column. The rest of the large family group trails off into the distance themselves dwarfed by the immense landscape. The scale of the figures within the composition renders the landscape as central to the moment as the Sioux and it affords the viewer the certain knowledge that nothing soon will disturb the group.
Once again, we see Clymer's composition is complimented by his considered use of color. Repeated tones link disparate parts of the picture. Purple and blue shadows beneath the horses are identical to the tones in the distant peaks on the right side of the horizon. Mustard yellow highlights are used in the grasses lower right and mixed into the greenery in the middle distance above the figures – successfully pulling the composition from upper left to lower right. The blue and white tones in the sky and clouds find their way into small reflections on the warriors' hair and faces and even the muzzles of a few of the horses. This use of color blends the Sioux into the landscape in a deliberate statement by the artist.
Additional information
Bid now on these items
