Cameron McIntyre Hanging Mallard Pair

Cameron T. McIntyre (b. 1968) New Church, VA, 1991 32 by 22 in.

The quality of McIntyre's work places him in the elevated company of early masters Alexander Pope Jr. (1849-1924) and A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952), who also carved hanging game. Like these sporting artists of centuries past, McIntyre's understanding of the subject is on full display, leaving his blade and rasp tool marks in the wood to great effect. Indeed, this scene is directly from the life this Eastern Shore hunter lives; “I haven’t bought beef from a grocery store in thirty years,” he told "Garden & Gun" Magazine in 2020. “We live on deer, ducks, geese, and doves. We garden and chop our own firewood. I’m not a survivalist, but I want to live as close to nature as I can.”

The full-bodied pair is mounted on weathered tongue-and-groove boards, the backsides of which are titled, signed, and dated. This work was prominently displayed in the Center for American Decoys at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Excellent original paint with light wear. Drake's foot was repaired by the maker.

Provenance: Private Collection

Literature: "Journey's End: The Nature Morte Art of Cameron T. McIntyre," Hunting and Fishing Collectibles Magazine, January-February 2012, front cover, related carving illustrated. Zac Zetterburg, ed., "American Decoy: The Invention," Peoria, IL, 2020, p. 103-105, related carvings illustrated. Steve Russell, “Cameron McIntyre’s One-of-a-kind decoys,” Garden and Gun Magazine, October/November, 2020, nature morte carvings discussed. Exhibited: Peoria, Illinois, Center for American Decoys, Peoria Riverfront Museum.

Provenance

Private Collection