John Benson (American, Born 1949) "America the Beautiful/Buffalo on Prairie" Signed lower left. Original Mixed Media painting on Paper.
Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting is the original painting which was on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 21c Bison stamp issued February 22, 2001.
Many years ago, massive bison roamed in thundering herds all across America. Their hulking bodies some six feet at the shoulder and each animal weighing as much as a ton, the bison numbered in the millions. An explorer once noted they provided the Plains Indians with a four-legged commissary, yielding "meat, drink, shoes, houses, fire, vessels, and their masters' whole substance." For the Indians used every part of the bison they hunted. But with the settlement of the West, the hunting of this magnificent beast became a sport, as well as a means of subsistence. Soon, bison numbers dwindled, and the size of their herds decreased, until, at the turn of the century, they faced extinction. A conservation effort was organized to save this mighty animal. And today, in certain parts of the country, in zoos, and in official wildlife preservation areas, the bison roam again, dotting the prairie with the power of their being, and increasing their numbers in time. Today, the bison of America's plains are a protected species and number about 50,000.
Image Size: 14 x 12 in.
Overall Size: 20 x 18 in.
Unframed.
(B11481)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.
- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.