Frederic Remington
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Frederic Remington (1861–1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer celebrated for his vivid depictions of the American Old West. He specialized in depictions of the Old American West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century and images of cowboys, American Indians, and the U.S. Cavalry. Born in Canton, New York, he briefly studied art at Yale before family circumstances drew him back east; he later spent time in the western territories working various jobs, including as a cowboy and ranch hand, which gave him firsthand material for his art.
Remington became one of the most successful and prolific artists of his era. By the mid-1890s he was one of the most popular and successful illustrators of the age, with drawings of cavalry troops, cowboys, and Indians filling popular periodicals such as Harper's Weekly and Collier's. Over his career he produced more than 2,700 illustrations and illustrated over 140 books. He also wrote extensively, publishing books and articles that often served as vehicles for his artwork, and he served as a war correspondent during the Spanish-American War.
Beyond illustration, Remington expanded into painting and, later, sculpture. In 1895 he tried bronze sculpture for the first time, producing The Bronco Buster; over the following fourteen years he created twenty-five sculptures, nearly all on Western themes, with the same attention to action and detail found in his drawings. His work is credited with shaping the popular American image of the frontier, and pieces by him—whether original paintings, bronzes, or period illustrations and prints—remain highly sought after by collectors of Western Americana due to his historical importance and enduring reputation as the era's foremost chronicler of the American West.
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