Lot 75002: TONY EUBANKS (American, b. 1939) Dallas County

TONY EUBANKS (American, b. 1939) Dallas County Courthouse, 1981 Oil on canvas 30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm) Signed and dated lower left: © Tony Eubanks / 1981 Another artist who calls Clifton, Texas, home, Tony Eubanks's artistic interests are eclectic and wide ranging. He paints still lifes, landscapes, seascapes, and scenes of both historic and contemporary cowboy life. He entered college with the intent of becoming a rancher, but soon decided that art was his true calling. After graduating from the University of North Texas, he studied at the Los Angeles Art Center and has been painting full time since the late 1970s. He is constantly searching for new subjects and themes in his art in the belief that tackling diverse subjects keeps him fresh. He is as likely to paint scenes from area ranches as he is to create portraits of Native Americans. He also frequently focuses on the historic West and often turns his attention to the history of his native Texas. Dallas County Courthouse presents a glimpse into the past of Dallas at the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century. Eubanks shows the bustling life around the courthouse as Dallas is transitioning to the modern era. While cowboys ride down a rain soaked and muddy street in early evening, the setting sun highlights the red stone of the newly constructed courthouse, which is illuminated by electric lights. Much later, the courthouse became known locally as "Old Red," due to the color of the stones. To create a historically accurate scene, Eubanks drew on period photographs and research as well as first hand observation. He also had the advantage of stories his grandfather told him about the construction of the building. His grandfather was part of the work team that built the courthouse. Eubanks painted the building as it was at the turn of the century, not as it was when the painting was completed. The clock tower, which is a prominent feature of the painting, was removed from the structure in the 1920s after being so severely damaged in a wind storm that city fathers feared it would topple into the street. In recent years, "Old Red" has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation, which has restored both the inside and exterior of the building to its former grandeur. A highlight of that renovation was the fabrication and installation of a new clock tower that is an exact replica of the original. The courthouse now stands as a gateway to Dallas's history as the home of the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture.