It may be entirely possible that folks in the West have never heard of William Ranney – but that is about to change. On May 13, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (BBHC) will open “Forging an American Identity: The Art of William Ranney,” on view in the BBHC Special Exhibitions Gallery through August 14.

“Contemplating some of Ranney’s powerful works one might wonder why artist William Ranney is less-known than some of his contemporaries or other Western artists,” said Dr Sarah E. Boehme, the John S. Bugas Curator of the Whitney Gallery of Western Art at the BBHC. “One contributing factor is Ranney’s short lifespan and, consequently, his resulting comparatively smaller oeuvre, or body of work.”

Painting in the mid 1800s, Ranney’s subjects represent the diversity of early American – from a Revolutionary War hero to a family headed West toward a new life, and from the festivity of a Virginia wedding to the profound grief of burying one’s child on the prairie.

“Many of Ranney’s Western works focus on the unnamed figures of history, thus asserting the importance of the average person in developing the nation and its identity” Boehme explained. “Ranney’s paintings convey important concepts about American character through his dramatic visualizations.”

Some 60 works of art have been gathered from public and private collections across the United States for “Forging an American Identity,” the first comprehensive exhibition of Ranney’s art in more than 40 years. “This project includes paintings that rarely travel and some that are newly rediscovered,” Boehme said. “We’ve learned so much more about William Ranney, which makes the exhibition an unparalleled gathering of the artist’s most significant paintings. Viewers will be treated to those new insights in a rare showing that, quite frankly, they might never otherwise see.”

Born in 1813 in Connecticut, Ranney began to develop his artistic interest by age 13. By 1832, he was studying painting and drawing in New York. He became a volunteer in the war for Texas independence in early 1836, providing the reference for his later Western scenes. After the war, he embarked on his art career in earnest and submitted pieces to the National Academy of Design and the American Art-Union.

Ranney eventually settled in New Jersey with his wife, Margaret, and two sons. His proximity to New York City allowed him continued access to its exhibitions and art markets. The rural setting of his home provided land for his home and studio as well as access to outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing – more content for his paintings. It was in this studio that Ranney created many of his most important works. He died in 1857 of tuberculosis.

According to Boehme, Ranney produced about 150 paintings in his brief lifetime. Scholars Linda Bantel and Peter Hassrick have cataloged and analyzed the paintings, providing the context for the interpretation in the exhibition. Their documentation of all the known works by Ranney will appear in the publication Forging an American Identity: The Art of William Ranney: With a Catalogue of His Works. The book will also include essays by Boehme and by painting conservator Mark Bockrath. It will accompany the exhibition and will be available for sale in Museum Selections, the BBHC museum store.

“Halt on the Prairie,” not dated, William Ranney, oil on canvas.

The exhibition’s opening weekend gets underway at 9 amFriday, May 12, with a symposium in the BBHC’s Coe Auditorium. Fourscholars will discuss the art of William Ranney as a “defininginfluence in visualizing our national identity.” Topics willinclude the historical, cultural, and artistic context of Ranney’swork.

Boehme will serve as moderator, and panelists Hassrick and Bantel will be joined by Dr John Mack Faragher, director of the Howard Lamar School for the Study of Frontiers and Borders at Yale University, and James Hanson, historian and publication editor of the Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly in Chadron, Neb.

The cost for the symposium and lunch is $40 for BBHC members and $45 for nonmembers. After its conclusion at 4 pm, a book signing is scheduled. Symposium participants are also invited to the Patrons Preview that evening.

After the exhibition closes at the BBHC on August 14, it will then travel to the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Ky.; the Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The center is at 720 Sheridan Avenue. For general information, 307-587-4771 or www.bbhc.org.