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The Close of Day - Frank Tenney Johnson - Hand Painted Oil Painting suits both traditional and modern interiors. As a fine art oil painting, it works as a standalone focal point or as part of a living room gallery wall, and unlike a print it is genuinely hand painted in oils.
circa late 1920s
Oil on canvas
Private collection, Rancho Mirage, California.
Born and raised in Iowa on a prairie farm situated alongside the historic Overland Trail, Frank Tenney Johnson had an early fascination with the West as he grew up watching stagecoaches pass his home. His interest in art coalesced at the age of fourteen when his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In a big city for the first time, he was inspired by visits to the Layton Art Gallery, Milwaukee's first public art museum, and resolved to become an artist. He apprenticed under two German expatriate artists, one of whom stoked his interest in Western subjects. At the age of twenty-one, Johnson traveled to New York City and trained at the Art Students League under John Henry Twachtman (1853-1902). He pursued additional training under the National Academicians Robert Henri (1865-1929) and William Merritt Chase (1849-1910) and sought work as a commercial illustrator to make ends meet. In 1903, he landed a major commission with Field & Stream magazine that enabled him to travel extensively through the West. On this defining trip, Johnson visited cattle ranches in Colorado and Indian pueblos in the Southwest, experiencing the culture and practices of his subjects first-hand.
In paintings like Close of Day, the defining artistic Western narrative that Johnson honed at the height of his career evokes romance, vast spaces, individuality, isolation, and the natural beauty of the indigenous peoples and their environs. Bathed in warm distant late day sunlight and foreground shadow, Close of Day features a central Navajo couple astride their horses paused in silence and introspection. The figures, silhouetted against white cumulus closes, gaze left and right into the distance. The group stands in an elevated rocky chaparral landscape, often featured in the artist's Southwestern work.
Our artists reproduce this fine art composition in oil on canvas by hand, preserving the tonal range that makes fine art oil painting so sought after for a living room.
Trained artists work in stages — underpainting, mid-tones, highlights, and detail — using traditional oils on canvas. Because nothing is printed, every hand painted oil painting has its own subtle texture and depth.
For living room wall decor that does not feel generic, a painted fine art canvas is hard to beat. It is a popular fine art oil painting pick for new homeowners and a durable alternative to seasonal poster art.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 24 in | $87.98 |
| 24 X 36 in | $134.48 |
| 30 X 40 in | $185.98 |
| 36 X 48 in | $238.48 |
| 48 X 72 in | $481.48 |
The sizes shown are the reproduction canvas sizes we paint to order. The dimensions given in a work's description refer to the original artwork and will differ from the sizes offered here. Not sure? Read the size guide or e-mail us.
Free on orders over $60; a flat $5 below that. Dispatched in 1–2 business days; 30 days to send it back. Full policy.
Every canvas is painted by hand in oils on artist-grade stretched canvas, with an extra blank border left for framing. How to care for your painting.
Measurements are on the size guide, or e-mail [email protected] and we reply within one business day.
