Robert Kennedy Abbett (1926-2015), Bo and Duke

Lot 210

About Seller

65 Sharp Street
Hingham, MA 02043
United States

Copley Fine Art Auctions is the world's leading American sporting art auction company. Located in Hingham, MA, Copley specializes in antique decoys and 19th- and 20th-century American, sporting, and wildlife paintings. Principal Stephen O'Brien Jr., a fourth-generation sportsman with a refined colle...Read more

Bid Increments

Price	Bid Increment
$0	$50
$1,000	$100
$2,500	$250
$5,000	$500
$10,000	$1,000
$25,000	$2,500
$50,000	$5,000

About Auction

The Sporting Sale 2022, Day 1 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

Live

The Sporting Sale 2022, Day 1

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Jul 14, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-07-14 10:00:00 2022-07-14 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Sporting Sale 2022, Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-sporting-sale-2022-day-1-9460 Lots 1-332 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

View Full Catalog (332)

Lot Description

Robert Kennedy Abbett (1926-2015)
Bo and Duke, 1981
signed and dated "R. Abbett © 1981" lower right
oil on board, 21 by 36 3/4 in.
signed, titled, and inscribed on back

"As a bird hunter who has owned many setters and labs over the years, this Abbett work speaks to me. It captures a setter's essence of running freely, showing his young friend the way." — Stephen B. O'Brien Jr.

This painting depicts two of the artist’s own dogs, Duke of Oakdale and Bo Jangles. In "A Season for Painting," Abbett recalls that his setter Duke "graced our family for his lifetime as hunting dog and artist's model and all-around pal." Remembering his Labrador, Abbett writes, “Bo’s worst problem was his unlimited energy; he should have belonged to someone who hunted ducks with him at least twice a day, twelve months a year, with an occasional field trial or two thrown in. As a pup, he would sit in the studio watching me, crouched like a leopard about to spring, and I would tell him, ‘Look, Bo, I’m sorry, but there’s just not a lot going on right now.’ Perhaps I should have named him ‘Patton:’ his charge was unstoppable.”

Bill Webster selected this iconic painting to make into a limited-edition print by Wild Wings in 1982.

Literature: Robert K. Abbett, "A Season for Painting: The Outdoor Art of Robert K. Abbett," Dallas, TX, 2001, pp. 32, 48, 71, and 178, print illustrated.

Condition

Please email condition report requests to leah@copleyart.com. Any condition statement given is a courtesy to customers, Copley will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition.
Shipping Info
- Shipping info
  
  Copley does not offer in-house packing or shipping. For clients who require shipping, please complete the Shipping Release Form and return it with your payment. The form includes a list of shippers we frequently work with.