""When Two Tens won’t go in a Twenty,” National Sportsman magazine cover" Lot no. 3108
By William H. Foster 1886-1941
1928
26.00" x 20.00", Framed 32" x 26"
Oil on Canvas
Signed Lower Right
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"When Two Tens won't go in a Twenty." Original cover for National Sportsman magazine, published July 1928.
William Harnden Foster's vibrant painting, “When Two Tens won’t go in a Twenty”, 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. An unused shotgun shell clutched in his fist, the man's exaggerated pose emphasizes his comical rage. As the title suggests, his haste led him to grab ten-gauge shells, which are too large for his twenty-gauge shotgun. Another discarded unused shell is cleverly depicted at an angle to show the white crimping, indicating that the shell was not fired. Adding to the scene’s charm, a curious horse peers from the stable, observing the farmer’s predicament.
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.
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 / Magazine Covers
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