Bassel Wolfe "Maternal Concern" 1986 Original Oil — El Paso Ranching Scene

Three ranch hands work a branded Hereford in the open desert: two stand with lasso ropes coiled and ready, a third kneels to attend the cow's restrained newborn calf while the mother turns her head in concern. The "RW" brand reads clearly across her flank, and the whole scene plays out against the warm ochre ground and long raking shadows that mark Bassel Wolfe's mature Western work. Painted in oil on Masonite panel and signed lower right "B. Wolfe © '86" in red-brown; the verso carries the artist's marker inscription "BASSEL WOLFE EL PASO, TX" and the title "MATERNAL CONCERN."

Perry Bassel Haynes Wolfe (American, 1932–2020) was a flagship painter of the El Paso art community — lead artist in the International Museum of Art's "Art on The Border" exhibition and memorialized by the El Paso Art Association. Raised near the historic 101 Ranch in Oklahoma, he brought firsthand knowledge of ranch work to his cowboy and cattle subjects. This 1986 canvas dates five years into his full-time art career, and its calving scene — Hereford breed, visible brand, the quiet drama of a mother watching over her calf — is exactly the working-ranch narrative that resonates through the Mesilla Valley and West Texas borderland.

History

Wolfe earned an art degree from Texas Technological College and spent twenty-seven years in advertising in Dallas and El Paso — minus two years' Army service during the Korean War era — before turning to painting full-time in 1981. His signature subjects were desert landscapes, working cowboys, animals, and Western ranching life. He also illustrated Down Went McGinty: El Paso in the Wonderful Nineties (Texas Western Press, 1977). His name carries strong local recognition throughout the El Paso/Las Cruces borderland, where his ranching scenes remain closely collected.

Collector's Note

Wolfe's market is hyper-regional and concentrated in exactly this borderland buyer pool. Original oils of this scale and subject represent his top value tier, above his pastels, marble etchings, and prints. Front signature, verso inscription, and title all intact make this a well-documented example for a regional artist whose work rarely surfaces at auction.

CONDITION

Very Good. The painted panel presents cleanly with no loss to the image. The gilt wood and plaster frame shows chipping with touch-up repairs at the corners and molding edges. No glazing.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall Framed: 30 1/2" H × 36 1/2" W × 1 3/4" D
• Visible Image: 23 3/8" H × 29 3/8" W
• Medium: Oil on Masonite panel
• Signed: Lower right "B. Wolfe © '86"; verso "BASSEL WOLFE EL PASO, TX / MATERNAL CONCERN"
• Date: 1986
• Frame: Gilt wood and plaster, no glass