Richard Ellis Wagner "Monument Valley" Original Western Desert Landscape Oil Painting

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Richard Ellis Wagner "Monument Valley" Original Western Desert Landscape Oil Painting
American Southwestern art - Oil painting on canvas - … Read more Richard Ellis Wagner "Monument Valley" Original Western Desert Landscape Oil Painting
American Southwestern art - Oil painting on canvas - signed
canvas size: 18x24" - Frame size:28x34"
Overview
Immerse your space in the sweeping, cinematic grandeur of the American Southwest with this exceptional original oil painting by celebrated American artist and professor Richard Ellis Wagner. Dynamically rendered in a realist-impressionist style, this breathtaking work features the iconic sandstone buttes of Monument Valley rising majestically beneath a vast, sun-drenched desert sky. Punctuated by figures on horseback navigating the rugged terrain, this piece beautifully captures the untamed spirit, dramatic light, and vast proportions of the Western frontier, making it an exquisite statement piece for upscale southwestern, rustic, or mid-century modern interiors.
Item Details
Creator: Richard Ellis Wagner (American, 1923–2009)
Title: Monument Valley
Medium: Oil on canvas
Signature: Hand-signed "R. Wagner" in the lower left corner
Framing: Professionally housed in an ornate, heavy gilt-gilded museum-quality gallery frame with a linen liner
Condition: Excellent vintage condition; colors are bright, vivid, and beautifully preserved with stable paint layers. Frame shows minor age-appropriate wear and a beautiful gold patina.
Visual & Stylistic Description
In this striking composition, Wagner expertly balances atmospheric depth with rich color theory. The brilliant, warm light of the high desert illuminates the massive red-rock mesas, highlighting their architectural crevices in shades of fiery copper, deep terracotta, and gold. In the foreground, sagebrush and desert scrub ripple across the vast valley floor, rendered with fluid, confident brushstrokes that lead the viewer's eye to two lone riders on horseback. Above, a sweeping canopy of soft white clouds stretches across a crisp blue sky, underscoring the infinite scale of the landscape. The entire scene is brought together by an imposing, masterfully crafted gold frame that adds an layer of historic, old-world elegance.
Artist Biography : Richard Ellis Wagner (1923–2009)
Richard Ellis Wagner was an acclaimed mid-century American painter, woodworker, and educator who dedicated his life to documenting the dramatic vistas of the American landscape. Highly regarded for his ability to translate the raw essence of nature onto canvas, Wagner balanced a prolific professional art career with a distinguished tenure in academia.
Early Life & Education
Born in Trotwood, Ohio in 1923, Wagner grew up learning fine woodworking skills from his father. During World War II, he served three years of alternative service in hospitals and forestry before finding his true calling when his wife, Evelyn, gifted him his first set of paints. He went on to receive an elite formal arts education, studying at Antioch College, the Dayton Art Institute, Manchester College, and ultimately earning both his B.F.A. and M.F.A. from the University of Colorado.
Academic Career & The Wagner School
Wagner became an influential figure in the mid-century art world, training generations of new painters. After an initial teaching stint at the University of Colorado, he moved to New England, where he served as a distinguished Professor of Art at Dartmouth College for thirteen years. He also successfully established the Wagner School of Painting and Drawing, leading rigorous workshops and judging national art exhibitions.
Exhibitions & Museum Legacy
Throughout his career, Wagner enjoyed tremendous critical acclaim, mounting 67 solo exhibitions across the country, including nine highly celebrated shows in New York City alone. He regularly exhibited at the nation’s most prestigious institutions, and his works were featured in landmark shows such as Recent Drawings, USA at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City (1956).
Today, his works are highly sought after by collectors of fine Western and impressionistic landscapes, with representations in premier institutional permanent collections including:
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York City
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
Worcester Art Museum See less