John Clymer (American, b. 1932) Visitors at Fort Clatsop, 1978 Oil on canvas 24 x 48 inches (61.0 x 121.9 cm) Signed and dated lower right: John Clymer / 1978 Signed and titled in a copyright notice adhered to the backing board PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT TEXAS COLLECTION PROVENANCE: Collection of William P. Sherman; Portage Route Chapter of the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation; Jackson Hole Art Auction, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, September 14, 2013, lot 103; Private collection, Texas, acquired from the above. Prior to painting Visitors at Fort Clatsop, John Ford Clymer would have fully immersed himself in the historic details that would accurately convey this western narrative. Throughout his career as a highly successful illustrator for publications like the Saturday Evening Post, and later as an acclaimed member of the Cowboy Artists of America, Clymer developed an effective process for portraying the history of the American West accurately. First, he and his wife would painstakingly research the subject of the painting, down to the smallest details of setting, climate, and historic period. After completing their research, they would then travel to the proposed site for the painting to get a firsthand feeling of the area. That attention to historic detail and first-hand observation of the actual environment is what gives paintings like Visitors at Fort Clatsop such power and believability. Clymer's career in many ways parallels the development of the art of the American West in the twentieth century. Born in the Pacific Northwest, he showed a natural talent for drawing at an early age and sold his first illustrations when he was only sixteen. Later he studied with some of the true luminaries of the great age of American illustration, including Harvey Dunn. At that time, most artists who depicted the history of the West did so in the employ of magazines and book publishers. Clymer became one of the most sought after in that field. By the early 1960s, western art collectors increasingly began to branch out from buying works by historic artists to seeking paintings by living artists. Encouraged by this emerging market for western art, Clymer left his career as an illustrator and turned his attention towards painting the history of the West on a full-time basis. He was asked to join the Cowboy Artists of America early in that organization's development and became one of its most celebrated members. Clymer's popularity is not only based on his technical skill, but also on his skill as a good storyteller. Fort Clatsop was the winter encampment for the Corps of Discovery from December 1805 to March 1806, and now serves as a Unit of Lewis & Clark National and State Historical Parks. Visitors at Fort Clatsop is a vivid narrative that contains all the elements that collectors seek in Clymer's work—a masterfully rendered scene of the Indians timidly interacting with men stationed on their land in Oregon. Clymer lets the drama of the scene unfold before the viewer's eyes as the natives come towards the settlers with the offering of fish as a gift of peace. The painting is a classic example of Clymer's work which combines his talent as a figural and landscape artist, his knowledge of western history, and his prowess as a visual storyteller. HID03101062020 © 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved See More