For nearly 30 years, the whereabouts of "Land of His Fathers" by William Robinson Leigh had been a mystery. Surely, whoever had it was sitting on a pot of gold, as work by this painter of the American West has been commanding top dollar.

(Doyle's in New York City sold Land of the Navajos-Young Indian Goat Herder by Leigh on December 4, 1997, for $200,500; see M.A.D., June 1998, 14-D.)

Turns out, this missing painting, like several other major works sold by Sloan's this year, was a local find. "It was in a private house sitting on a wall somewhere," said Colin Clarke, senior vice president. "People had been looking for it for years. It was a well-known, well-exhibited painting, and it had just sort of disappeared for over twenty-five years. When it came back on the market, people knew it was right."

Estimated at $100,000/150,000, it sold on September 13 for $365,500 (including buyer's premium). Clarke said the painting went to a dealer calling from New York who found determined competition from a man in the gallery.

© 1998 by Maine Antique Digest

[To view this article and a picture of Land of the Navajos-Young Indian Goat Herder go to: http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/articles/leig1198.htm]