Lot 32

"Claiming the Kill" Framed Oil Painting by Kenneth Riley

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"Claiming the Kill" Framed Oil Painting by Kenneth Riley

Estimate: $22,500 - $40,000

Starting Bid: $16,000

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
June 27, 2026 5:00 PM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

"Claiming the Kill" Framed Oil Painting by Kenneth Riley Artist: Kenneth Riley (1919-2015) Title: Claiming the Kill Year Created: Unknown Medium: Oil on canvas Canvas Size: 24 x 36 inches Frame Size: 32 x 44 inches Signed on the lower right Kenneth Riley (1919–2015), born in Waverly, Missouri and raised in Kansas, studied at the Kansas City Art Institute under Thomas Hart Benton, the Art Students League with Frank DuMond, and the Grand Central School with Harvey Dunn—placing him in direct lineage with the great late-19th and early-20th century Western artists. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a combat artist in the Pacific, with his illustrations appearing in major publications. Commissioned by the U.S. Park Service in the 1960s to paint Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Riley soon focused exclusively on Western subjects, later establishing his studio in Tucson, Arizona. A charter member of the National Academy of Western Artists and elected to the Cowboy Artists of America in 1982, Riley earned numerous honors, including the Prix de West (1995) and the inaugural Eiteljorg Museum Award for excellence in American art. His work resides in many of the nation’s most prestigious collections, including “The Whites of Their Eyes,” accepted by President John F. Kennedy for the White House, as well as holdings in the Smithsonian Institution. Claiming the Kill by Kenneth Riley depicts two cowboys on the Great Plains moving in to secure a pronghorn. One carries a lever-action rifle while his companion, wearing a prairie belt, stands watch, underscoring both partnership and vigilance on the open frontier. Riley’s restrained composition emphasizes the stillness that follows the shot and the quiet discipline of the hunt. In the distance, Sioux riders hold the horizon while a second group of three approaches closer—one armed with a rifle and another carrying a finely decorated lance. Their presence adds tension without overt conflict, a subtle reminder of the overlapping worlds that defined the northern plains during the late 19th century. The choice of pronghorn as the quarry, combined with the expansive terrain and the Lakota presence, places the scene firmly on the Great Plains, resulting in a composition that is both peaceful and charged—an unmistakably beautiful meditation on the American West. The painting is signed "Kenneth Riley" and "CA" (Cowboy Artists of America) on the lower right and "CLAIMING THE KILL/Kenneth Riley CA" on the plaque on the frame.

Manufacturer: None

Model: None

Class: Other

  • Provenance: Gerald Peters Gallery; Scottsdale Art Auction, April 2024; A Private Collection from Arkansas
  • Condition: Excellent with distinct imagery, vibrant colors, and minor wear on the frame.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000