Description
The visual history of the American West calls to mind iconic works of art and nostalgia for the past. Art of the American Frontier presents more than 300 works of art and artifacts from 1830 to 1930, alongside a group of up to date Western works, showcasing the premier collections of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The complicated history of westward expansion is gifted in the course of the iconography of the frontier, spanning Plains Indian materials, government survey photographs, and paintings by early artist-explorers. Within the 20th century, a growing romance with the West is evident Within the theatrics of Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West show, with its blend of pop culture and history that inspired a lot of artists.
The dialogue between the historical West and the nostalgia for it may be seen in highlights including Timothy O’Sullivan’s government survey photographs, Frederic Remington’s rare Impressionist landscape studies, and charming wax sculptures by Charles Russell. Featuring three essays and ten brief expositions on a range of art, culture, and history topics, this generously illustrated catalogue provides a comprehensive overview of more than 100 years of art from the American West.