A Bear Chance

The Cream of Wheat company commissioned this work, along with the two N. C. Wyeth paintings in this gallery, to advertise their cereals. Philip R. Goodwin was known for his wildlife paintings, which often show the tension caused by the presence of people in the wilderness: hikers or hunters confront bears, cougars, or wolves even as they enjoy the majestic outdoors and its bounty. Here the human presence is merely implied by the box of Cream of Wheat this grizzly bear is so clearly enjoying.