The Advance Guard
Frederic Remington
FREDERIC REMINGTON, 1890. OIL ON CANVAS.
Less concerned with history than with mythology, Frederic Remington created a persona around himself that matched the vision of America that he created with his inks, oils and watercolors. An illustrator of the ‘Old West’ who became lauded on the East Coast for his portraits of cowboys, native Americans, ranchers, military men and great battles on horseback, his work sits somewhere between historical record and fantastical storytelling. The work is narrative and dramatic, capturing moments of action with dynamic composition and modern aesthetics, and Remington spent time in the landscapes he painted enough to capture a truthful accuracy to the color, light and natural forms. Yet this technical accuracy did not translate into a historical one, and Remington’s vision of America was just that: a vision. It was, however, strong enough to ingrain his ideas into the popular imagination such that the common understanding of the ‘Old West’ is in part the creation of a wealthy New Englander, educated at Yale, and hired by Harper’s to create illustrations that would excite and enthral their readers.