National Museum of Wildlife Art Acquires Significant Carl Rungius Painting

Jackson, WY: The National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) announces the addition of a significant oil painting by Carl Rungius to the Museum’s permanent collection. Generously donated by Trustee Emerita Lynn Friess and the Friess Family Foundation, The Family depicts a mother grizzly and two cubs moving through a mountain landscape. “Rungius paintings of family scenes are very rare, and this is one of his best. It is so thrilling to have this piece coming to the Museum. I had hoped to borrow this very painting for the upcoming Rungius Masterworks exhibition, but now we can proudly display it as part of the Museum’s collection, generously donated by The Friess Family Foundation,” says Dr. Adam Duncan Harris, the Grainger/Kerr Director of the Carl Rungius Catalogue Raisonné.

NMWA holds the most extensive collection of work by Rungius in the United States. Widely regarded as North America’s premier wildlife painter, Rungius primarily worked in the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming and Alberta, Canada. He spent every summer painting and sketching in the high country and every winter in New York City, creating finished canvases that celebrate the outdoors, nature, and wildlife. Harris is currently leading the multi-year Carl Rungius Catalogue Raisonné project, culminating in a published Rungius masterworks book, touring exhibition, and online resource: The Carl Rungius Catalogue Raisonné. “There are seven mother and cub scenes in Rungius’s entire body of work. In his depictions of other species, I couldn’t find anything similar—no moose mothers and calves, for example. The Family is also one of Rungius’s best-known works, thanks to the engraving he made based on the painting, which is a favorite among Rungius fans and collectors,” says Dr. Harris. The piece set the world auction record for Rungius when it sold in 2006 for $952,000.

Moved by her long history with the Museum and her desire to give back to the community, Friess believes that this is the right piece in the right place. “We are grateful to the Friess Family for their continued support of the Museum. Through their time, talents, and treasures, they have made an enduring impact on the Museum almost from its founding in 1987,” says Executive Director Steve Seamons. “This piece will be enjoyed by art and wildlife enthusiasts for generations to come.”

The Family is currently on view at the entrance to the Rungius Gallery; the public is encouraged to visit the Museum and enjoy this new acquisition.

Carl Rungius (Germany, 1869-1959), The Family, 1930. Oil on Canvas. 27 x 35 1/4 inches. The Friess Family Foundation, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Estate of Carl Rungius.