Gregory Rudd (American, B. 1952) "Pecos Bill" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Cold Press Illustration Board.
Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting is the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover of the 32c Pecos Bill stamp issued July 11, 1996.
Folk hero of the Pecos River region of Texas, Pecos Bill embodied exaggerated tales of the American cowboy. His colorful adventures were a source of awe and entertainment around cowboy campfires. According to legend, he was born in East Texas. While traveling west with his family, he fell from the wagon into the Pecos River, thus acquiring his name. Unfortunately, there were so many other children in the family that Bill was not missed for several days. Too late to turn back, the family went on and Pecos Bill was raised by coyotes. He even thought he was one of them until he discovered that he had no tail. When he grew up, Pecos Bill became a cowboy and invented the skill of roping. He could throw a lasso up in the sky and bring down eagles and buzzards. He even roped bears, wolves, panthers and elk. Pecos Bill had the biggest ranch in the West. It was so big that he staked out the New Mexico territory and fenced off Arizona for a calf pasture. Pecos Bill's horse was legendary, too. Raised from a colt on a diet of barbed wire and nitroglycerin, this fierce creature was named Widow Maker because it threw everyone else who tried to ride it. Pecos Bill thrived on performing incredible feats of courage and perseverance. Once he bet a cowboy hat that he could actually ride a cyclone. He went to the Kansas line, roped a tornado and rode that twister across Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. When the cyclone realized that it couldn't throw Pecos Bill, it just "rained out" from under him in Arizona.
Image Size: 14.5 x 12.25 in.
Overall Size: 17 x 15 in.
Unframed.
(B15426)
Condition
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