#1 • Marvin Mangus "Liberty Creek, Alaska" Oil Painting
Part of June 2026 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)
High bid $4,600.00
Status: Sold
Category: Art
An original oil painting entitled Liberty Creek, Alaska by celebrated Alaska artist, geologist, and outdoorsman Marvin Mangus (1924-2009). The work depicts a secluded cluster of cabins nestled within the golden autumn colors of the Liberty Creek drainage, a remote stream situated in Alaska's historic Fortymile mining district. Rich passages of yellow, green, and russet foliage enliven the valley floor, while dark spruce forests and rolling hills recede into the distance beneath a broad northern sky. Executed with the vigorous brushwork and bold color harmonies characteristic of Mangus, the painting captures both the grandeur and solitude of Alaska's interior wilderness. Born in Texas, Marvin Mangus moved north in 1947 and spent decades as a pioneering geologist and mining consultant whose work carried him throughout Alaska's most remote regions. His intimate knowledge of the land provided endless inspiration for his paintings, which document mining camps, mountain landscapes, and scenes of the rapidly disappearing frontier. Equally respected as both scientist and artist, Mangus became one of Alaska's most recognizable painters, and his works are found in numerous private and institutional collections throughout the state. His paintings are particularly admired for their authenticity, born from firsthand experience in the country he portrayed. The subject of this painting is especially fitting, as Liberty Creek lies within the Fortymile region where prospectors established some of Alaska's earliest gold camps. Mangus's combined roles as explorer and artist allowed him to preserve these remote landscapes with a degree of familiarity few others possessed. Signed lower right and further signed, titled, and dated en verso, the painting is housed in a gilt frame and measures approximately 29.25" x 35.25" overall with a sight view of 24" x 30".
