John Stanford Painting Appraisal

Original Western Oil Painting by John Stanford

This is an original oil on canvas painting by artist John Stanford, depicting a classic Western scene of riders on horseback traversing a rugged desert landscape. The composition features a primary rider on a black and white pinto-patterned horse in the foreground, flanked by two other cowboys. The figures are dressed in traditional period attire, including wide-brimmed hats and chaps, with one figure prominently carrying a rifle. The background is dominated by a sunlit, craggy rock formation or butte under a muted blue-grey sky. The palette consists of earthy tones including ochres, browns, and sage greens, with high-contrast lighting that emphasizes the topography of the terrain. The painting is framed in a substantial dark-toned wooden frame with a decorative inner linen or off-white slip liner. Notable features include the artist's signature 'J. Stanford' in the lower right corner. The brushwork appears deliberate and textural, characteristic of mid-to-late 20th-century Western American realism. Regarding condition, the frame shows some minor surface abrasions and dust accumulation consistent with age. The canvas appears stable with no immediate signs of flaking or significant craquelure visible in the image, though the varnish may have slightly yellowed over time. This work exemplifies the traditional Western genre through its narrative focus on frontier life and dynamic animal anatomy.