Atkinson Fox Oil of Buffalo Hunt in the Rocky Mountains

ATKINSON FOX, Robert (1860-1935).
Indian Hunting Buffalo, Rocky Mountains.
Oil on canvas.
Signed l.l. "R Atkinson Fox".
1892.
13 1/2" x 19 1/2" visible, 18 1/2" x 24 1/2" framed.

Perhaps the most prolific illustrator of the 20th century, Robert Atkinson Fox is best known for his portraits of animals. Fox displayed talent in an array of subject matter, from enchanted landscapes and characters, cottage views, adventure scenes and marine scenes, to historical figures and ethnographical portraits. Born in Toronto, Canada, in 1860, Fox had a diverse education, spanning across Europe and North America, which may account for the diversity of artistic genres he explored. Eventually he settled in the United States between 1885 and 1890, moving from New Jersey to Chicago, Illinois in 1924.

Fox became the most reproduced artist of his time, with work appearing in print form as well as in advertising, children's books, postcards and everyday items such as ink blotters and jewelry boxes. In fact, his artistry was so popular among 19th and 20th century calendar companies and publishers, that he was forced to use numerous pseudonyms in order to give the publication an illusion of artistic diversity. For this reason, his work is rarely signed, which has often led to somewhat ambiguous attribution, and inspired an influx of interest surrounding the artist in recent years. Aesthetically desirable in its own right, the signed painting, Indian Hunting Buffalo represents a rare historical find: certainty of authorship.Fox was a facile painter, and most frequently painted lighthearted scenes from memory, photographs or small preliminary sketches. His style has been compared to that of Maxfield Parrish, a well respected 19th century painter, who was most noted for his striking use of color. This nostalgic scene is based on Albert Bierstadt's final great painting of 1888, The Last of the Buffalo, which helped to spur the preservation of the American buffalo during the late 1880s. Fox describes this dramatic juxtaposition of man versus beast as situated in the Rocky Mountains. The charming painting incorporates all the elements for which the artist is best known. His skill in animal portraiture and sublime, almost fantastical landscapes combine to compose this adventurous western view.