The American West in Bronze, 1850-1925

Themes of the American West have been enduringly popular, and The American West in Bronze features sixty-five iconic bronzes that display a range of subjects, from portrayals of the noble Indian to rough-and-tumble scenes of rowdy cowboys to tributes to the pioneers who settled the lands west of the Mississippi. Fascinating texts offer a fresh look at the roles that artists played in creating interpretations of the ?vanishing West”?whether based on fact, fiction, or something in-between. These artists, including Charles M. Russell and Frederic Remington, embody a range of life experiences and artistic approaches. Some grew up in the West and based their artwork on first-hand experience, while others never set foot west of the Rockies. Four thematic sections?Indians, animals, cowboys, and settlers?are illustrated with new photography and provide a cultural overview to the works presented. Also included are biographies of the artists, each illustrated with a vintage portrait, plus an illustrated chronology of historical and artistic events.

Thomas Brent Smith is director, Petrie Institute of Western American Art, Denver Art Museum. Thayer Tolles is curator, The American Wing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.