Billy Hassell (American, b. 1956) Sitting, 1982 Mixed media on paper 28-1/2 x 22-1/2 inches (72.4 x 57.1 cm) (sheet) PROVENANCE: Simpson Galleries, Houston, Texas, February 12, 2022, lot 446; William Campbell Gallery, Fort Worth; Private collection, Fort Worth. Spanning more than two decades, these two works offer a fascinating view of Billy Hassell's development into one of Texas's most distinctive contemporary painters. Sitting, created in 1982, the year Hassell completed his MFA, reveals the importance of drawing and direct observation in the early stages of his career. By Night Fishing on the Wind River of 2003, that early interest has evolved into the bold visual language for which he is best known, combining recognizable animals and landscape with brilliant color, pattern, and abstraction. Nature has remained at the heart of Hassell's work, but he does more than simply describe it: birds, fish, plants, and landscape become part of an imaginative world entirely his own. Together, these two works beautifully demonstrate the development of an artist whose distinctive vision has earned his work a place in major Texas museum collections, including the Dallas Museum of Art and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. HID12401132022 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

Simpson Galleries, Houston, Texas, February 12, 2022, lot 446; William Campbell Gallery, Fort Worth. Spanning more than two decades, these two works offer a fascinating view of Billy Hassell’s development into one of Texas’s most distinctive contemporary painters. Sitting, created in 1982, the year Hassell completed his MFA, reveals the importance of drawing and direct observation in the early stages of his career. By Night Fishing on the Wind River of 2003, that early interest has evolved into the bold visual language for which he is best known, combining recognizable animals and landscape with brilliant color, pattern, and abstraction. Nature has remained at the heart of Hassell’s work, but he does more than simply describe it: birds, fish, plants, and landscape become part of an imaginative world entirely his own. Together, these two works beautifully demonstrate the development of an artist whose distinctive vision has earned his work a place in major Texas museum collections

Subtle undulations in sheet. Floated and framed under acrylic.
Framed Dimensions 28 X 35 Inches