Autumn Woodcock by Arthur Burdett Frost (A. B. Frost)

Autumn Woodcock by Arthur Burdett Frost (A. B. Frost)

C. 1972

Photomechanical Color Reproduction

This detailed autumnal sporting scene, titled Autumn Woodcock, is a vintage color print published by the Winchester Press in 1972. Based on the masterwork by legendary American illustrator Arthur Burdett Frost (A. B. Frost), the artwork depicts a hunter in traditional outerwear navigating a dense, golden-hued forest while holding his shotgun at the ready. In the foreground, two pointer bird dogs work closely together, alertly scenting through the dense undergrowth and fallen leaves near a narrow stream or pool of water in the lower right. The intricate composition is dominated by a thick canopy of changing birch and deciduous trees sporting vibrant orange, yellow, and brown foliage, while the print carefully preserves the original composition, the artist's signature in the lower right corner, and clean title typography along the bottom margin.

The composition stems from Frost's legendary Shooting Pictures portfolio, originally commissioned and published in 1895 by Charles Scribner's Sons. A. B. Frost (1851–1928) is widely considered the quintessential artist of American sporting life, renowned for combining rigorous anatomical precision with an authentic, non-romanticized view of rural hunting culture. This particular scene is historically important because it documents the traditional, specialized practice of "battery" or sinkbox hunting on vast coastal bays before the method was heavily restricted or banned for conservation purposes. Released as part of an elite, limited-edition commemorative run of 750 copies by Winchester Press, this plate serves as a vital cultural artifact of late Victorian outdoor sporting heritage and early American realism.

Dimensions: H 11” x 17” W

Condition: In very good condition