Olaf Carl Wieghorst Oil Painting "Cavalry Trooper 1880"

Item Details

Olaf Carl Wieghorst (Danish/American, 1899 – 1988)
Cavalry Trooper 1880, 1979
Oil painting on canvas
Signed to lower left and to verso
Title and date inscribed to verso

Born in Viborg, Denmark, Wieghorst was a talented horse rider and professional performer for the Danish Circus, where he traveled throughout Europe before arriving in America by steamship in 1918. Once in America, Wieghorst joined the United States Cavalry where he extensively travelled the Mexican border, which first exposed him to the beauty of the south western United States, and inspired his later watercolor and oil paintings. After leaving the Calvary, he eventually found work as a cowboy in Arizona and New Mexico before returning to the New England area in the mid 20th century. It is unknown exactly when Wieghhorst began painting, but it is clear he was self-taught and quickly became proficient in the arts and no doubt inspired by his south western travels. Today, he is most known for his stunning portraits of horses, landscapes and indiginous people. Wieghorst’s works are collected publicly and privately, notably in the collections of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and John Wayne.

Condition

- scattered craquelure and spots of paint loss; scattered marks and accretion; nicks and finish wear to frame; stains to liner.

Dimensions

- measures frame; sight measures 19.5" W x 15.25" H.

Item #

ITMG679098