The Retrieve

William Tylee Ranney set this scene in a favorite salt marsh near his northern New Jersey home. He chose his brother (kneeling) and a neighbor’s groomsman as models. Surrounded by tall grass and cattails, the two men pause as a springer spaniel proudly presents a canvasback duck.

Ranney was an avid hunter, and critics often noted his skill in depicting proper practices and details. One praised _The Retrieve_ for its careful portrayal of hunting season, mentioning the sky’s “autumnal dark, [with] gray and purple shades.”