Olaf Wieghorst
1899-1988
His String
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
DIMENSIONS: 28 x 38 inches
ESTIMATE: $25,000.00 - $35,000.00
Signed lower Left
Signed and titled verso
SHIPPING DIMENSIONS: 39 x 49 inches
2026 – AUGUST | LIVE ONLINE,
LOT 284
Additional Information
Provenance: Private collection, Arizona
Exhibited & Literature:
Olaf Wieghorst - A Retrospective Exhibition Catalog, Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ 1989, p. 37
The vast landscapes of the American Southwest found one of their most devoted interpreters in Olaf Wieghorst (1899–1988). A Danish immigrant who embraced the traditions of the American cowboy, Wieghorst spent decades studying ranch life firsthand, earning widespread admiration for paintings that combined historical authenticity with a romantic vision of the frontier. His work is distinguished by expansive compositions, masterful horsemanship, and an extraordinary ability to capture the changing moods of the Western landscape.
In His String, the grandeur of the terrain becomes as much a subject as the cowboy himself. A lone rider quietly drives a string of horses across an open desert beneath towering mountains and dramatic skies, emphasizing the scale and solitude of the land. Wieghorst's restrained palette and sensitive treatment of light draw the eye across the sweeping vista, creating a composition that conveys both the physical demands and quiet dignity of ranch life. Signed and titled on the reverse and descending from the estate of collector Jerry Egeland, this painting is a compelling example of Wieghorst's enduring contribution to the art of the American West.