"Missed Again, Probable Gun or Ammunition Advertisement " Lot no. 3108
By William H. Foster 1886-1941
26.00" x 20.00", Framed 32" x 26"
Oil on Canvas
Signed Lower Right
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Probable advertisement for a gun or ammunition company.
William Harnden Foster's vibrant painting, Missed Again, captures a moment of humorous frustration with characteristic energy. The scene depicts a farmer, shotgun in hand, reacting to a raptor's successful raid on his poultry. A spent shell clutched in his fist, the man's exaggerated pose emphasizes his comical rage, while another discarded shell underscores his repeated failure. A curious horse, peering from the stable, adds to the scene's charm.
This portrayal of an agitated farmer echoes another Foster work, "Tarnation," which graced the August 1922 cover of National Sportsman magazine and also served as a Parker Gun advertisement, showcasing their "Old Reliable" firearms. While Missed Again has yet to be located in print, the indications on the reverse suggest it was reproduced in black and white. The similarities of the two pictures in both style and subject suggest Missed Again was also intended as an advertisement for a gun or ammunition company.
Foster's artistic training at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and later under the renowned teacher Howard Pyle in Delaware informed his prolific illustration career. Beyond his commercial advertising work and illustrations produced for the covers and interiors of magazines, Foster authored and illustrated the highly regarded sporting book, New England Grouse Shooting. He also co-invented the game "Shooting around the clock," the precursor to the popular sport of Skeet. As assistant editor for Hunting and Fishing and National Sportsman magazines in the 1920s, Foster championed Skeet, later becoming the first president of the National Skeet Shooting Association and its inaugural Hall of Fame inductee.
Explore related art collections: Hunting/Fishing / $5,000 - $20,000 / Violence/Guns / Men / Humor / Sports / Seniors / Newly Researched
See all original artwork by William H. Foster
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Sporting artist William Harnden Foster trained at the the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Howard Plye Art Colony in Wilmington, Delaware.
Known for his dog portraits the artist also co-invented the shooting game, Skeet as well as authored and illustrated the highly respected sporting book, " New England Grouse Shooting" (1942).
Via AskArt