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Lot description
An original acrylic on Masonite painting titled Easy Going, executed in 1990 by acclaimed Alaska artist Jon Van Zyle (b. 1942). Long recognized as one of Alaska's most celebrated painters, Van Zyle served as the Official Artist of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race for forty-nine consecutive years, from 1976 through 2025. A dedicated musher himself, he and his wife Jona maintained a kennel of Siberian Huskies near Eagle River, experiences that profoundly influenced his work and lent authenticity to his depictions of Alaska's landscapes and traditions. In Easy Going, Van Zyle employs a strikingly asymmetrical composition reminiscent of Japanese ukiyo-e prints, using expansive negative space and a limited palette to convey both the grandeur and isolation of the Alaska wilderness. A diminutive dog team traverses the frozen foreground beneath towering snow-covered mountains and delicately rendered spruce boughs, emphasizing the immense scale and quiet majesty of the landscape. The scene evokes the endurance and companionship that characterize long-distance mushing and reflects the artist's lifelong connection to the sport. Signed and dated lower right, the work is additionally titled, signed, and dated in the artist's hand en verso, with a notation reserving all reproduction rights to the artist. Housed in its original frame. Condition issues include losses to the gilt finish along the frame edges, staining and discoloration to the linen liner, and some looseness to the frame assembly. Overall framed measurements are approximately 26.75" x 13.75", with a sight area measuring approximately 24" x 11".