: It may be entirely possible that folks in the West have never
heard of William Ranney - but that is about to change. On May 13,
the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (BBHC) will open "Forging an
American Identity: The Art of William Ranney," on view in the
BBHC Special Exhibitions Gallery through August 14.
"Contemplating some of Ranney's powerful works one might wonder
why artist William Ranney is less-known than some of his
contemporaries or other Western artists," said Dr Sarah E.
Boehme, the John S. Bugas Curator of the Whitney Gallery of
Western Art at the BBHC. "One contributing factor is Ranney's
short lifespan and, consequently, his resulting comparatively
smaller oeuvre, or body of work."
Painting in the mid 1800s, Ranney's subjects represent the
diversity of early American - from a Revolutionary War hero to a
family headed West toward a new life, and from the festivity of a
Virginia wedding to the profound grief of burying one's child on
the prairie.
"Many of Ranney's Western works focus on the unnamed figures of
history, thus asserting the importance of the average person in
developing the nation and its identity" Boehme explained.
"Ranney's paintings convey important concepts about American
character through his dramatic visualizations."
Some 60 works of art have been gathered from public and private
collections across the United States for "Forging an American
Identity," the first comprehensive exhibition of Ranney's art in
more than 40 years. "This project includes paintings that rarely
travel and some that are newly rediscovered," Boehme said. "We've
learned so much more about William Ranney, which makes the
exhibition an unparalleled gathering of the artist's most
significant paintings. Viewers will be treated to those new
insights in a rare showing that, quite frankly, they might never
otherwise see."
Born in 1813 in Connecticut, Ranney began to develop his artistic
interest by age 13. By 1832, he was studying painting and drawing
in New York. He became a volunteer in the war for Texas
independence in early 1836, providing the reference for his later
Western scenes. After the war, he embarked on his art career in
earnest and submitted pieces to the National Academy of Design
and the American Art-Union.
Ranney eventually settled in New Jersey with his wife, Margaret,
and two sons. His proximity to New York City allowed him
continued access to its exhibitions and art markets. The rural
setting of his home provided land for his home and studio as well
as access to outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing -
more content for his paintings. It was in this studio that Ranney
created many of his most important works. He died in 1857 of
tuberculosis.
According to Boehme, Ranney produced about 150 paintings in his
brief lifetime. Scholars Linda Bantel and Peter Hassrick have
cataloged and analyzed the paintings, providing the context for
the interpretation in the exhibition. Their documentation of all
the known works by Ranney will appear in the publication
Forging an American Identity: The Art of William Ranney: With
a Catalogue of His Works. The book will also include essays
by Boehme and by painting conservator Mark Bockrath. It will
accompany the exhibition and will be available for sale in Museum
Selections, the BBHC museum store.
"Halt on the Prairie," not dated, William Ranney, oil on
canvas.
The exhibition's opening weekend gets underway at 9 am
Friday, May 12, with a symposium in the BBHC's Coe Auditorium. Four
scholars will discuss the art of William Ranney as a "defining
influence in visualizing our national identity." Topics will
include the historical, cultural, and artistic context of Ranney's
work.
Boehme will serve as moderator, and panelists Hassrick and Bantel
will be joined by Dr John Mack Faragher, director of the Howard
Lamar School for the Study of Frontiers and Borders at Yale
University, and James Hanson, historian and publication editor of
the Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly in Chadron, Neb.
The cost for the symposium and lunch is $40 for BBHC members and
$45 for nonmembers. After its conclusion at 4 pm, a book signing
is scheduled. Symposium participants are also invited to the
Patrons Preview that evening.
After the exhibition closes at the BBHC on August 14, it will
then travel to the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Ky.; the Amon
Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas; and the Philadelphia Museum of
Art.
The center is at 720 Sheridan Avenue. For general information,
307-587-4771 or www.bbhc.org.
