This is an original and scarce James Kenneth Ralston oil on stretched canvas titled, “Women of the West” and dated 1973. J.K. Ralston (American 1896-1987) was an accomplished painter of the Old American West who was born in Choteau, Montana in 1896, the 19th Century. Ralston’s works are on display at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, the Western Heritage Center, the Montana Historical Society and the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Museum. The work of art, which is in a nice medium to larger size, shows a group of Montana Native American Indians (possibly Crow, Flathead, Sioux, Blackfoot, or Gros Ventre) all being women traveling across a Montana valley with a Mountain Range in the background. The main character of the painting is a woman in full dress on horseback with drag poles and wearing a papoose cradle board. Also shown in the painting are multiple wolf-dogs (wolfdogs) with drag poles on their backs. The painting is signed in the lower right, “JK RALSTON – 73” and is handwritten on the back “WOMEN OF THE WEST”. Very few original paintings have been offered for sale and one example was shown on the Antiques Roadshow and appraised at a value of $15,000 by Alan Fausel of Bonhams, New York (this example shows the same size, and coloring with our example having better subject matter). The piece shows good coloring and overall good condition with some wear (beneath the central figures hoof is some chipping and, in the sky, also shows some flaking, but can be repaired). The work of art canvas measures 26” by 18”. The frame is 30.25” by 22.25”. The horse also shows some chipping as shown. For a complete representation of condition and for additional images please call 800-686-4216. It is the buyer’s responsibility to view each image and preview the item to determine condition.