3447

Queen Valley – Painting by Michael Thomas O’Loughlin (115342)

Currency:USD Category:Art Start Price:750.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 - 3,000.00 USD
Queen Valley – Painting by Michael Thomas O’Loughlin  (115342)
SHIPPING & HANDLING: Shipping is subject to a minimum charge of $19.00. Shipping and handling cannot be estimated prior to invoicing as it is based on the size and weight of your purchase. Additional shipping and handling costs, if required, will be re-invoiced for the balance due. Items are not shipped until the invoice is completely paid. Many buyers purchase a number of lots. Every effort will be made to include all lots in a single shipping charge calculated to cover the weight and size.SHIPPING & HANDLING: Shipping and Handling cannot be estimated prior to invoicing, based on the size a...
Queen Valley - May 11, 1943, oil on canvas, by Michael Thomas O’Loughlin. Canvas is 30 x 24 inches, frame is 38 x 32 inches. It is signed by the artist in the lower left area. This work comes from the collection of Robert “Doc” Smeton, longtime resident of Twentynine Palms and prolific collector of historic California art and mining artifacts. The scene was commissioned by Smeton and depicts a famous 1943 gunfight at the Desert Queen Mine site in what is now Joshua Tree National Park. The geography in the scene is identical to the actual location of the shootout. The story goes that Bill Keys, owner of the Wall Street Mill at the site of Desert Queen Mine, had an argument with his neighbor, Worth Bagley, over control of the road accessing the mill. Their argument escalated, a gun was fired, and Mr. Bagley was killed. Following this Western-style shootout, Keys was convicted of murder and sent to San Quentin Prison. Five years later, Keys was released when a judge pardoned him, ruling that he had killed Bagley in self-defense. A memorial monument for Worth Bagley exists today at Joshua Tree and reads “Here is where Worth Bagley bit the dust at the hand of W. F. Keys. May 11, 1943.” Today Wall Street Mill is considered the best-preserved gold mill in Joshua Tree National Monument, and it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Michael Thomas O’Loughlin (1951-2017) was known as "The Artist of Garden Valley, Idaho.” He was raised and lived in Boise. He is renowned for the extensive historical research he performed as part of his painting process, often purchasing authentic clothing and historic props to give his extremely detailed works an unusual degree of historic accuracy. He felt a strong affinity for Native Americans and often used their stories as themes for his works.

Provenance:
Country (if not USA):
State: Nevada
City/County:
Date: