Frederic Remington was one of the great painters of the American West. If you’re a fan of classic American art, then you owe it to yourself to become acquainted with his remarkable body of work. More than 150 years after his birth, Remington’s legacy continues to inspire a new generation of art enthusiasts. An Artist’s Beginnings Born in New York during the first year of the American Civil War, Frederic Remington attended military school, where he was known for making impromptu caricatures of his fellow cadets. After dropping out of Yale to take care of his ill father, Remington decided against returning to school, instead making a trek to the then-remote territory of Montana. Failing to make his way as a rancher, Remington nonetheless become thoroughly familiar with the life and imagery of the West. An Artist’s Arrival Back in New York, Remington gradually began to make a living from his work, selling paintings, sketches, and illustrations to local buyers, newspapers, and magazines. He illustrated a book by Theodore Roosevelt and began to exhibit his paintings in one-man shows. Known for telling tall tales about his adventures in the West, Remington also drew attention for the increased complexity and depth of his paintings. In 1898, he covered the Spanish-American War as a newspaper illustrator, and his work was notable for its realistic and unglamorous treatment of war. An Artist’s Legacy In his final years, Remington drifted away from more commercial work and began to focus on landscape paintings. He famously burned many of the illustrations he had done for magazines, insisting that he was finished with that part of his career. When he died in 1909, however, his legacy was secure. He was acknowledged as the premier artist of the American West, a reputation he maintains to his day. Western Art Association & Goodey Gallery is a nonprofit that works to promote a better understanding of the art and culture of the American West. They produce the annual National Fine Art Show & Auction in Ellensburg, WA, and they also feature rotating shows at the Goodey Gallery. For more information, call (509) 962-2934.
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