Denver Museum Acquires Thomas Eakins Painting

"The addition of Cowboy Singing marks a major milestone for the Museum's collection and exemplifies the commitment we have to making Denver a major center for western American art," said Denver Art Museum director Lewis Sharp. "We are grateful to the Anschutz Collection for making this acquisition possible and for helping bring a major painting by one of this country's most significant artists to our city."

Cowboy Singing will be shared equally between the Denver Art Museum and the Anschutz Collection, which has donated funds to help support the Denver Art Museum's portion of the acquisition. The joint acquisition of Singing Cowboy is part of an agreement that furthers the Denver Art Museum's longstanding collaborative relationship with the Anschutz Collection. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is selling Cowboy Singing to help fund the acquisition of Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross (The Gross Clinic), one of Eakins' most praised works.

Spurred by major acquisitions and generous donations, the Denver Art Museum has made a major commitment to Western American art in the last decade. With centrally located galleries in the new Frederic C. Hamilton Building, the Petrie Institute of Western American Art has developed a robust program including major symposia and traveling exhibitions, including In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein opening in fall 2008, Charles Deas: Telling Tales to 1840s America opening in June 2009, and Charles M. Russell: The Masterworks in Oil and Bronze opening in fall 2009. -- www.denverartmuseum.org