BEARS IN THE PATH (SURPRISE) BY WILLIAM R. LEIGH
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William R. Leigh Bears in the Path (Surprise) 1904 Oil on canvas 21 1/8 inches x 33 1/8 inches |
| Bears in the Path, like The Hold Up, is interesting as a Western subject done before Leigh ever saw the West of his childhood dreams. Both paintings capture moments of suspense, anticipating rather than showing the violence that might momentarily occur. And both confront the viewer face on. In The Hold Up an outlaw costumed in a red shirt, chaps, white hat and an unlikely Lone Ranger-style mask trains his revolvers on the stagecoach indicated by the shadow cast by the horses. The viewer's angle of vision is that of the driver. In Bears in the Path, Leigh depicts another confrontation much favored by Wester painters - Russell did several - though none took more pride in his rendering of the bear than Leigh. He painted them often and was not about to leave them to the viewer's imagination here. Like the bandit, the surprised man stands with left leg extended, his weight planted on the right, poised for swift action, another study in suspense. |