Carl Rungius
The oil panting Charging Moose was done by Carl Rungius who was an avid sportsman.
Rungius spent more time in the wilderness than other artists and used his direct observations in nature, to gain exceptional insight into the animals and their environment.
He painted both landscapes and wildlife and often with both in a single picture. He situated animals in their natural environment, a practice that was new to painting in early part of the twentieth century.
His paintings are highly romanticized and represent an Eden-like world without any signs of human impact.
The German born philanthropist August Heckscher gave the painting to Roosevelt for his 54th birthday in 1912. Heckscher also created Heckscher Park in Huntington and the Heckscher Museum of Art. The state purchased nearly 1,500 acres in East Islip with money donated by Heckscher to create Heckscher State Park famous for hosting summer concerts.