Bob Kuhn (1920 – 2007)
Bear and Houndsacrylic on board17 × 12.75 inches27 × 22 × 1.5 inches (framed)signed center leftLITERATURE Outdoor Life, September 1967, cover, illustratedA copy of the September 1967 issue of Outdoor Life will accompany the lot.
https://cdaartauction.com/auction/2023/lot/21783?order=lot
My favorite bear and hounds image? No one did hounds like Kuhn as mentioned before. He did them well I think because he hunted with them and loved it.
I loved how he placed the pine to support the verticality of the bear. The green on blue of the trees on the far slope always draws my eye. The blue hints on the bear and the spray of slobber are nice touches. He knew what he was doing. This was just before he switched from commercial to easel work full time.
I still have the September 1967 issue of Outdoor Life. It was one of his best. It was a shock to see the image show up without that association. A gut wrenching flash back to being a kid, too.
It is starting at low 5 figure bids when his work often goes for mid 6 figures. That is likely due to the subject matter. Hounds are off the politically correct art market now. It will be a bargain for someone. I would grab it if I had loose cash. There used to be a Houndsmen Association here but I think it is gone and I am not sure if running bears with hounds is still legal here.
I am not sure if Steve’s friend, Dutch Salmon, ran bears but he did reprint, Meet Mr. Grizzly, one of the best books I have read.
Sunday June 25 2023
Something to keep you on your toes in the woods. A fresh bear bite on a fir beside the trail where a lot of my trees are. I don’t worry about it much but friends have been chased. I saw bear cubs up a tree the first of June. They are everywhere on my land but I never see them. I do get them on camera.
I was an hour behind the bear.
The same guy taking bites out of my trees? Please excuse the amateur mistake of weeds in front of the trail cam.
As usual, open in new tabs to embiggen.