About Wieghorst Art
Have a question about Wieghorst Art?
Wieghorst art spans over half a century. He began drawing in Denmark. He tried etching and sculpture in New York. His magnificent oil paintings came from his years in El Cajon, California. His work was as varied as the artist himself.
Olaf began pencil sketching early. At eight years old he drew on every piece of paper he could find. Horses were his favorite subject. Olaf’s father – an artist in his own right – encouraged his son. And young Olaf took up a paint brush for a time. He sold his first painting – a reproduction from a postcard – at age twelve.
Other youthful pursuits would relegate his art to a hobby. He would be in his mid-20s before he would set aside space in the living room of his small apartment to once again pursue art.
Olaf gave away most of his early works. He was in his mid-30s before he felt confident enough to sell his art – which presented some problems as his job as a New York City police officer prohibited outside employment. Nevertheless, Olaf began selling paintings through third party agents. In the late 1930s he set up an etching press in his attic. He turned out a series of etchings until a fire destroyed his equipment and many of his etching plates.
By the 1940s Olaf’s paintings began selling. Companies published his paintings on art calendars and in magazines. A few were reproduced as jigsaw puzzles. He got portrait work and a commission to do a horse statue in bronze.
Olaf’s confidence grew and in 1944, after a 20 year police career, he retired. The rest of his life would be devoted to art.
The Wieghorst Museum
With the assistance of the Wieghorst family, the Olaf Wieghorst Museum Foundation was created and supplied with records and artifacts from Olaf’s life. The museum now holds the largest collection of Wieghorst work in the world. The museum maintains a western art research library. And among our members, board of directors and advisory council, we have living resources who knew Olaf, his wife (Mabel), his son (Roy) and daughter-in-law (Barbara).
Information from these resources are are shared with our members and the public within the constraints of our ability to make them available.
You are welcome to ask us about all things Wieghorst. We will help if we can. Part of our mission is to educate and make available what we know about Olaf, his art, and the western heritage he so loved.
Questions about Wieghorst Art
We frequently receive questions about the authenticity and value of Wieghorst paintings and prints. While we are not able to appraise or set a value on Wieghorst art, we can assist you in identifying and providing information about individual works. The family maintained significant records of Olaf’s paintings particularly in the years following 1950.
What we can do.
We can …
- assist in identification of Wieghorst Art;
- provide you information about the western art market and the vocabulary of fine art;
- help you identify licensed professional appraisers;
- help you identify reputable art dealers and auction houses, and
- offer you tips on finding a market for your art.
What about donating Wieghorst Art?
The Wieghorst Museum accepts donations of original Wieghorst art. By adding to the museum’s collection you can be assured the work will be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
We will provide you with appropriate documents for use with federal and state tax returns. There may be substantial tax benefits associated with donation of appreciated art.
For information about donating original art, please contact the museum.
The Wieghorst Museum occasionally accepts donations of Wieghorst prints or other items for resale or use in Museum fundraising events. We generally require the donor to deliver the item(s) to the museum. In some instances we will accept items for consignment sale through the museum gift shop. Please contact the museum for additional information.