Friday, November 12, 2010

Casual Friday: Cowboys in art

Looking for cowboy pics at wikimedia this week, I came across a bunch of reproductions by painters from 100 years ago. As a break from all the verbiage here, I am posting some of them today. Enjoy.

Buccaroos, 1902 by Charles Russell (1864-1926)

A Dash for Timber, 1889 by Frederic Remington (1861-1909)
 The Herd Quitter, 1897 by Charles Russell

Arizona Cowboy, 1902 by Frederic Remington

Rounded Up by God by Henry F. Farny (1847-1916)

Defending the Stagecoach by Henry F. Farny

A Bad Hoss, 1904 by Charles Russell

Lassooing a Steer by Charles Russell

Cowboys in the Badlands by Thomas Eakins (1844-1916)

Cowboy Singing, 1890 by Thomas Eakins

Further reading:
C. M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Montana
Frederic Remington Museum, Ogdensburg, New York
Thomas Eakins gallery tour, Philadelphia Museum
Online gallery of works by Henry F. Farny

Image credits: wikimedia.org

Coming up: A. B. Guthrie, Playing Catch-up

12 comments:

  1. Wow. Great stuff. I think "rounded up by God" is the most evocative, although I love that Remington piece. I think that's the only one I've seen before.

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  2. The Henry F. Farny jumps out at me. What's the story there?

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  3. All these are excellent especially the great art by Charles Russell. But I'm also impressed by "Rounded Up by God" by Farny. I think this illustrates a scene I've read about many times. Never fall into the hands of indians because they love to torture and burn their victims. You save the last bullet for yourself and this is what the cowboy is considering as he stands there alone.

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  4. Cheyenne, thanks for dropping by again.

    Charles, Remington put a lot of drama into his paintings.

    Oscar, glad you like 'em.

    David & Walker, that's probably the story. Torture and mutilation were apparently not uncommon, though I rarely run across it in the fiction I'm reading. Mostly the fear is of being scalped.

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  5. I'm continually surprised by the vibrant color often employed in western art. Beautiful stuff.

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  6. Love this stuff. You seen the work Fred Harman did in this tradition?

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  7. Rich, this is especially true of the original paintings. I'm thinking of the Russells out here at the William S. Hart house.

    Evan, I knew Harman's Red Ryder, but a little google search and I found his paintings, too. Thanks.

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  8. This year I swear I am going to make it down to Great Falls to the CMR Art Show and Auction. Which is what I said last year, and the year before...but this time, I'm serious.

    Have you seen Buck Taylor's work? He paints very much in the Russell tradition.

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  9. I am a quilter. Would love to have these prints in quilting fabric, any chance?
    Valdine

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