American Western art began as visual reporting on a fast-changing frontier. Over roughly 150 years it grew into a celebrated genre of cowboys, open plains and Native American life.
This article follows that path from Frederic Remington to contemporary painters such as Martin Grelle, showing what changed, what stayed the same, and where to explore more Western artists.
Questions and Answers
What is American Western art?
It is art that depicts the American West, including cowboys, ranch life, wide landscapes, wildlife and Native American peoples. It spans painting, sculpture and illustration and mixes documentary record with romantic storytelling.
Who was Frederic Remington?
Frederic Remington (1861–1909) was an American painter, sculptor, illustrator and writer. He made roughly 2,700 to 3,000 illustrations (Wikipedia says over 2,700; the Smithsonian American Art Museum says about three thousand), and his scenes of cowboys, cavalry and Native Americans helped create the mythic image of the Old West.
Who came before and alongside Remington?
George Catlin visited about 50 tribes in the 1830s, painted more than 500 works and toured his Indian Gallery to London, Brussels and Paris from 1839. Karl Bodmer documented the Missouri River in 1832–1834, and later Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran painted the West’s grand landscapes. Charles M. Russell (1864–1926) lived in Montana and painted the region from experience.
How did Western art change in the 20th century?
The genre broadened. Victor Higgins went to Taos, New Mexico in 1914 (some sources say 1913) and joined the Taos Society of Artists in 1917, painting Native American subjects and landscapes. Organizations such as the Cowboy Artists of America later supported painters of ranch life and frontier history.
Who is Martin Grelle?
According to the Cowboy Artists of America, Martin Grelle was born in 1954 in Clifton, Texas, and paints Plains Indians, frontier life and cowboy culture. He is largely self-taught, with James Boren as an early mentor, joined the group in 1995, later served as its president, and has won multiple gold medals. WooArts does not yet have a profile on him.
Which Western painters are on WooArts?
Robert Duncan was born in 1952 and was inducted into the Cowboy Artists of America in 1982, reportedly as its youngest invitee, according to Trailside Galleries. Gary Niblett paints Southwest scenes, Alfredo Rodríguez paints the 1800s West, and Jack Sorenson and Bill Anton add more voices to the genre.
Artists and Posts Mentioned
- Robert Duncan
- Gary Niblett
- Alfredo Rodríguez
- Bill Anton
- Jack Sorenson
- Victor Higgins
- Brent Cotton
- Ann Hanson
Sources
- Wikipedia: Frederic Remington
- Smithsonian American Art Museum: Frederic Remington
- Wikipedia: George Catlin
- Wikipedia: Karl Bodmer
- Wikipedia: Charles Marion Russell
- Wikipedia: Albert Bierstadt
- Wikipedia: Thomas Moran
- Smithsonian American Art Museum: Victor Higgins
- Cowboy Artists of America: Martin Grelle
- Trailside Galleries: Robert Duncan
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