"I am disappointed that I didn't get a chance to see the exhibition before it closed," is a sentiment I hear more often than I would like to admit. So this is your friendly reminder that in just a few weeks, on January 14, 2024, one of the best exhibitions we have ever had closes at the National Sporting Library & Museum.
Survival of the Fittest: Envisioning Wildlife and Wilderness with the Big Four, Masterworks from the Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the National Museum of Wildlife Art was organized by Dr. Adam Duncan Harris, the curator at the National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) in Jackson, Wyoming, for over 18 years. It is a tour de force of four artists collectively known as The Big Four: American Carl Rungius (born Germany, 1869–1959), Germans Richard Friese (1854–1918) and Wilhelm Kuhnert (1865–1926), and Swede Bruno Liljefors (1860–1939). The NMWA partnered with the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in The Netherlands to present the best paintings from their two collections: they are the only two institutions in the world to hold examples by all four artists.
The exhibition is among the largest we have showcased at the NSLM, filling three-quarters of our galleries. The introductory gallery features jaw-dropping oversized examples by each of the Big Four. After seeing images of Survival of the Fittest installed at the NMWA against striking black walls, I knew we would want to recreate the dramatic look in our space.
National Sporting Library & Museum's "Survival of the Fittest" introductary gallery, left to right: Carl Rungius (Germany, 1869 – 1959), The Harlow Triptych, c. 1930, Three Old Gentlemen, Morning Mist, and Dall Sheep, oil on canvas, JKM Collection, National Museum of Wildlife Art; Bruno Liljefors (Sweden, 1860 – 1939), Pine Marten Attacking Capercaillie, 1923, oil on canvas, Gift of the 2003 Collectors Circle, National Museum of Wildlife Art; Richard Friese (Germany, 1854 – 1918), Fighting Moose, 1896, oil on canvas Collection of the Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede, Netherlands; Wilhelm Kuhnert (Germany, 1865 – 1926), Fighting Bison in Białowieża, c. 1920, oil on canvas, Collection of the Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede, Netherlands
On the left is the Harlow Triptych by Rungius, sold by the artist's first art dealer Arthur H. Harlow. Each painting has its own title: Three Old Gentlemen, Morning Mist, and Dall Sheep. They represent an overview of wildlife and habitat that Rungius observed and painted over the course of his career. Adam recounted in his gallery talk that the NMWA's founder William Kerr once saw a black and white image of the three paintings together and made it his mission find and reunite them. The central composition has been part of the NMWA's collection since it opened in 1987, and the left and right paintings were added to their collection in 1989.
Bruno Liljefors (Sweden, 1860 – 1939), Pine Marten Attacking Capercaillie, 1923, oil on canvas, Gift of the 2003 Collectors Circle, National Museum of Wildlife Art
Liljefors's painting at the center of the gallery of a capercaillie being attacked in a tree by a pine marten, one of its main predators, recalls the title of the exhibition, Survival of the Fittest. The artist had an affinity for painting wild birds and observed this largest species of European grouse in old growth forests near Kvarnbo, Sweden, where he lived.
Richard Friese (Germany, 1854 – 1918), Fighting Moose, 1896, oil on canvas, Collection of the Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede, Netherlands
To the right of the Liljefors is Fighting Moose, 1896 by Friese. The oldest of the four painters, he taught at the Berlin Art Academy where Rungius and Kuhnert were also students. The dramatic scene is of two European bull moose (known as elk in Europe) fighting during the rut as a courtship display, while females and younger males look on. The artist observed scenes such as this in the Darß Forest in Eastern Prussia.
Wilhelm Kuhnert (Germany, 1865 – 1926), Fighting Bison in Białowieża, c. 1920, oil on canvas, Collection of the Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede, Netherlands
Finally, the fourth artist, Kuhnert is represented by his painting, Fighting Bison in Białowieża. He saw the European bison, called wisent, in a royal hunting preserve, one of the last herds in Europe. The species had almost been hunted to extinction for sustenance during World War I. The painting's label, however, recounts that the nine remaining wisent were placed in a zoo, and a breeding program was implemented to save the species. They are still classified as a Near Threatened with 2,500 in the wild today. The setting of the painting in modern-day Poland is now a national park with a reintroduced herd begun in 1952.
These four masterworks are an impactful introduction to the artists who were the first to observe and paint many of the wild animals represented in their natural habitats. They inspired generations of wildlife artists and, today, have become beacons for the need for conservation.
Hopefully, this teaser has enticed you to see or come back to see Survival of the Fittest one more time before it closes on January 14. Don't let this be the one that got away.
To learn more about the exhibition, below is link to a PBS interview with Adam. The exhibition is made possible at the National Sporting Library & Museum by Mary W. and Manuel H. Johnson, Jacqueline B. Mars, Virginia Guest Valentine, and Susan and John Mullin.
by Claudia Pfeiffer, George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Deputy Director & Head Curator
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