Nothing Says Love Like a Moose

When most people think of Valentines Day gifts they typically look towards the standards. Flowers, jewelry, chocolate...weve all been there and we all know the turf. But what to do if that special someone in your life doesnt really go in for the traditional Valentines Day fair? What if theyre the type whod much rather be roughing it in Jackson Hole than sharing appetizers at Jean Georges?

On Friday, February 12, Copley Fine Art Auctions could have the answer when they stage their 2016 Winter sale. Featuring 481 lots, the sale offers a host of great art focusing on the outdoors, including oil paintings, etchings, pencil sketches, sculpture, canes, decoys, books and more. Its a great way to bring the outdoors in, for those winter days when even the most ardent sportsman prefers a hot fire and glass or two of whiskey.

Lot 22, "Bull Moose" by illustrious big game painter Carl Clemens Moritz Rungius, is expected by many to top the sale. German born and trained by the Prussian army, Rungius settled permanently in America in 1897 to explore its wide open spaces. A revered sportsman and an excellent shot, Rungius was held in great esteem in his day, with notables owning his work including kindred spirit and former President, Theodore Roosevelt.

Any outdoor art sale worth its while has to include the work of George Boyd, who famously applied his shoemaking skills when crafting his prized decoy ducks. Lot 311, a Canada goose swimming, has never before been offered at online auction and is typical of the New England natives intricate and innovative work.

For adventure its hard to beat life on the open seas, and artists down through time, be it with paintbrush, pencil or pen, have sought to bring its epic scale and romance to landlubbers onshore. Lot 115, "In The Southern Ocean," is by Jack Lorimer Gray, one of America’s premier marine artists. Gray spent his career moving between Maine, Nova Scotia, and Palm Beach, finding significant success and commission work.

As he matures, a sporting gentleman requires a good walking cane that befits his station in life. The Winter sale contains many fine examples, including the three above, Lots 251 (top), 254 (middle) and 255 (bottom).

When the day is over, the fire stoked and the drinks poured, your active sportsman requires reading material that stays on message. Lot 463, Great and Small Game of Africa by Henry Anderson Bryden, is a signed first edition from 1899 sure to tantalize an any outdoors imagination.

Copley Fine Art Auctions 2016 Winter sale is set down for Friday, February 12 and contains over 480 expertly curated lots.