Untitled (Superstition Wilderness, Arizona Desert Scene), c. 1940
Oil on canvas
24" x 30", artwork
32.5" x 38" x 1.5", framed
Historic
Not Available
Provenance
Consigned to American Legacy Fine Arts by a private collector in Irvine, California
Description This original oil painting by George S. Bickerstaff, circa 1940, represents an enigmatic Arizona desert scene that links the viewer to the Old West. The location is believed to be in the Superstition Wilderness outside of Phoenix, Arizona where Bickerstaff is known to have painted. With all its vastness and arid climes, there is still beauty. The desert is dappled with native plants, including, colorful chollas, prickly pears, barrel cacti, yuccas, and the grand saguaro cactus that can live to be approximately 200 years old and grow as tall as 60 feet. As a native to the Sonoran Desert, the saguaro is an iconic symbol of the Western Frontier and Southwest Americana. This painting was likely created during the spring or early summer when the plants were blooming with color. The Superstition Mountains are steeped in the folklore of the Old West, such as the legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine and the Apache’s belief that the entrance to the underworld is located there. Today, the Superstition Mountains are protected as a National Forest and include 160,000 acres of pristine desert.
