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Frederic Remington

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Frederic Sackrider Remington was a prolific American artist who defined the genre of Western American Art.

Frederic Remington - Arizona cow-boy
Frederic Remington - Arizona cow-boy

He worked as a painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer. His work focused on the Western United States during the final quarter of the 19th century. He specialized in depicting cowboys, Native Americans, and the US Cavalry. Through his art, Remington captured a specific era of American history. His ability to show movement and action made him a leading figure in Western art.

RemingtonDismounted
RemingtonDismounted

Remington used several different methods to create his art. He produced full-color oil paintings to show complex compositions and deep colors. For black-and-white commercial reproduction, he created ink and wash drawings. He also made detailed illustrations for books and magazines. Beyond two-dimensional work, he was a sculptor who captured action in three dimensions.

The Broncho Buster MET DP361132
The Broncho Buster MET DP361132

To ensure his work felt authentic, he practiced careful observation. He took notes on the actual colors of the West. For example, he noted that shadows on horses should appear as a cool carmine and blue. He also collected authentic artifacts to use as props in his later paintings.

His professional career involved many distinct stages and roles. He began as a student at Yale University, where he preferred action drawing over still life. He later worked as a reporter and a businessman in Kansas. His first major commercial success came when he worked as an artist-correspondent for Harper's Weekly. In 1886, he was sent to Arizona to cover the government's conflict with Geronimo. He also served as an illustrator for various magazines like Outing. Eventually, he became a celebrated professional artist living in Brooklyn and New York.

Remington's early life provided the foundation for his interest in the West. He was born in Canton, New York, on October 4, 1861. His father, Seth Pierrepont Remington, was a Union army colonel during the American Civil War. The Remington family had a strong history of horsemanship and military service. As a child, Frederic was active and loved hunting, swimming, and riding. He attended military schools, including the Vermont Episcopal Institute. Although he struggled with subjects like math, he began sketching soldiers and cowboys at a very young age.

His journey to success included significant financial and personal challenges. He attended Yale University but left in 1879 to care for his ailing father. After his father died of tuberculosis, Remington held several short-lived jobs. He attempted to invest his inheritance in Montana mining and cattle operations at age 19. In 1883, he moved to rural Kansas to try sheep ranching. This venture proved difficult and isolated, leading him to sell his land in 1884. He even faced a failed business in Kansas City before turning to art as a full-time profession.

Remington's career gained massive momentum through specific professional connections. In 1887, he traveled to Canada to illustrate the Blackfoot and Crow Nations. A major turning point occurred when he received a commission from Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt, who had also experienced ranch life, hired Remington for eighty-three illustrations for the book Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail. This partnership provided a significant boost to Remington's reputation.

Shotgun hospitality
Shotgun hospitality

By his first year as a commercial artist, he was earning $1,200, which was nearly triple the salary of a typical teacher.

His work remains significant because it documented a rapidly changing landscape. He arrived in the West when the bison herds were shrinking and the frontier was still active. This gave him a more authentic view than artists who arrived twenty-five years later. His style was often described as distinctive and modern. Even though some critics called his color palette primitive, his work was highly valued for its realism.

Frederic Remington - The Blanket Signal - Google Art Project
Frederic Remington - The Blanket Signal - Google Art Project

Today, his paintings and sculptures are recognized as essential records of the American West.

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🖼️ Images & Media (18)
File:Outing (1885) (14579831590).jpg
Outing (1885) (14579831590).jpg
File:Frederic Remington - Arizona cow-boy.jpg
Frederic Remington - Arizona cow-boy.jpg
File:RemingtonDismounted.jpg
RemingtonDismounted.jpg
File:Shotgun hospitality.jpg
Shotgun hospitality.jpg
File:Frederic Remington - The Blanket Signal - Google Art Project.jpg
Frederic Remington - The Blanket Signal -...
File:Frederic Remington - Aiding a Comrade - Google Art Project.jpg
Frederic Remington - Aiding a Comrade -...
File:Remingtonhome.JPG
Remingtonhome.JPG
File:Frederic Remington - Change of Ownership (The Stampede; Horse Thieves) - Google Art Project.jpg
Frederic Remington - Change of Ownership...
File:Frederic Remington - The Lookout - Google Art Project.jpg
Frederic Remington - The Lookout - Google...
File:Remington Fighting over a stolen herd.jpg
Remington Fighting over a stolen herd.jpg
File:Frederic Remington - The Mier Expedition- The Drawing of the Black Bean - Google Art Project.jpg
Frederic Remington - The Mier Expedition-...
File:Frederic Remington - A New Year on the Cimarron - Google Art Project.jpg
Frederic Remington - A New Year on the...

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