loading
reading
writing
saving
searching
Rare Hand-Signed Harlene Schwander Arabian Horses Playing Poker Framed - $500
condition:
like new
make / manufacturer:
Harlene Schwander
model name / number:
Horses playing cards/54
QR Code Link to This Post
Purchased originally at the 1984 All Arabian Horse Show when it was hosted at Paradise Park Equestrian Center (60th Street and Bell Road in Phoenix, AZ), this piece carries impeccable geographic and historical provenance.
Harlene Schwander’s original archives, master plates, and remaining art prints were tragically destroyed in the 2022 McKinney Fire. Consequently, surviving, pristine pieces from this limited 1980s run are exceptionally rare. This piece represents a finite opportunity for serious equestrian art collectors, Arabian breeders, and fine art investors to own a preserved slice of Schwander's artistic legacy.
Item Specifications:
• Artist: Harlene Schwander
• Subject: Arabian Horses Playing Poker (Equestrian Parody / Breed Tribute)
• Year of Purchase: 1984
• Edition: Limited Run, Number 54 of only 200 ever produced.
• Signature: Hand-signed and hand-numbered by the artist in pencil (lower margin).
• Framing: High-quality frame housing, preserved and ready for immediate exhibition.
• Condition: Excellent, pristine vintage condition. Free of water damage, fading, stains, or paper yellowing. Colors remain vivid and crisp.
• Location: Local pickup available in Wittmann. American equine artist whose career spanned several decades, deeply rooted in the Arabian horse show circuits of the Southwest.
Artistic Background & Style
Schwander gained recognition within equestrian circles for her highly expressive, detailed depictions of horses, specifically focusing on the distinct, elegant confirmation of the Arabian breed.
* The Crossover Style: While much of her work consists of traditional, realistic breed portraits and western equine scenery, she occasionally explored playful, genre-bending concepts. Her Arabian Horses Playing Pokerseries remains one of her most distinct and recognizable limited-edition crossover prints.
* Historical Presence: During the 1980s and 1990s, her work was a frequent fixture at major Southwest horse events, including the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show and the All Arabian Horse Show in Phoenix, Arizona.
The 2022 McKinney Fire
Tragically, Schwander’s life and artistic catalog were severely impacted by the 2022 McKinney Fire.
* At 81 years old, her home and studio located along Highway 96 in Siskiyou County, California, were entirely leveled by the fast-moving wildfire.
* The fire destroyed her lifework, including her personal archives, master plates, historical family photographs, and numerous original oil paintings.
Because her original workspace and stored inventory were lost to the flames, any surviving physical art pieces—especially hand-signed, limited-edition lithographs from her early 1980s career—carry an elevated historical value and a finite availability for collectors.