RENO, NEV. — Coeur d’Alene Art Auction had the “Best in the West” in its July 26 Fine Western & American Art auction, which featured 354 selections of Western and American art from historical and contemporary artists. The top price of the sale went to “Open Range,” a 1942 oil on canvas laid on board by Maynard Dixon (1875-1946). Painted while Dixon was living in Tucson, Ariz., the work explored the artist’s new passion for capturing the activities on local dude ranches. The painting was selected to be the cover of The Oxford History of the American West (Oxford University Press) when it was published in 1994. Coeur d’Alene currently holds the world auction record for a work by Dixon — $2,130,000 earned by “The Pony Boy.” “Open Range” came in just under that record at $2,015,000, including buyer’s premium. Additional highlights will be featured in an upcoming issue.