Frederick Remington’s work, both in oil paintings and bronze sculptures, embodies the iconic Wild West. His work of cowboys, Native Americans, and scenes from the Old West marked a historic chapter in America’s story.
Although his work was often praised for its authenticity, he was not a Westerner himself. Born in Canton, New York, he fell in love with the romance of the West and traveled there often to photograph life on the frontier. A prolific illustrator for magazines of the day, including Harper’s Weekly, he produced more than 3,000 signed paintings and drawings. Later in his life, in 1895 he turned to sculpture and created 22 different bronzes before his early death after an emergency appendectomy at the age of 48.
His work still inspires a sense of patriotic pride and his snapshots of the Old West can be seen across the country. Here are eight of the best places in America to enjoy the nostalgia and romance of cowboy life through the art of Remington.
Remington Museum, Ogdensburg, New York
The Frederick Remington Art Museum, in Ogdensburg, New York, exhibits an extensive collection of his work as well as personal artifacts that tell the story of the man behind the art. Built in 1810, the museum’s main building, which was Remington’s home after the death of his wife Eva, houses a collection of personal possessions including letters and art supplies. Inside the light-filled Albert Priest Newell Gallery, you’ll find changing collections of artwork and sculpture, such as “The Mountain Man,” which depicts a pioneer riding a horse and a reluctant horse. is driven down an impossibly steep slope. “The Outlaw” shows another horse and rider frozen, capturing the movement and drama of the moment. Here you can also see rare Collier prints of otherwise lost works that were destroyed by Remington.
More information: https://fredericremington.org/
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, TX
Located in Fort Worth, this museum is a tribute to American art and although it now houses works by thousands of American artists, it was originally founded on an extensive collection of pieces by both Remington and Charles M. Russell, a noted collector. Provided by Amon G. Carter Sr. Here you can see ‘The Fall of The Cowboy’, an oil painting created in 1895 to accompany the Harper’s Monthly article. A 1916 life bronze cast titled ‘Coming Through the Rye’ also features four cowboys galloping on horseback, guns drawn and a tumultuous depiction of life on the range. has been done
More information: https://www.cartermuseum.org/
Museum of Modern Art, New York City, New York
Among more than 200,000 pieces of modern artwork, New York City’s MOMA has a series of five exhibitions highlighting the work of Frederick Remington. Along with classic works of art like Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Warhol’s collections, you can also see examples celebrating the Wild West. American Battle Painting – 1776-1918 The exhibition features works by 71 artists – including Remington.
More information: https://www.moma.org
National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City displays Western history, culture, art, and artifacts, including many of Remington’s works at The William S. and Ann Atherton art at the American West Gallery. The museum’s collection of more than 200 contemporary American works produced over the past 30 years includes not only Remington, but also Charles Marion Russell, Albert Bierstedt and Solen Borglum. Remington’s 1909 painting ‘The Hunter’s Supper’ can be seen on display here, depicting cowboys enjoying a campfire dinner in a quiet and romantic tone.
More information: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/
Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West, in Cody, Wyoming, includes a large online collection, a research library, and various galleries and museums, including the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Whitney Western Art Museum, and the Cody Firearms Museum. Along with his own collection of Remington sketches, prints, paintings and sculptures, he exhibited the traveling exhibition ‘Go West! Art of the American Frontier Tour,’ which featured various works by Remington.
More information: https://centerofthewest.org/
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
The Met Museum in New York City is one of the best places to see Remington art in America, with over 20 Remington sketches, paintings and sculptures on display. Also on display is a later casting of Remington’s first sculpture, the iconic ‘Bronco Buster’. Another work is a large oil on canvas titled ‘On the Southern Plains’. Built in 1907, it shows a cavalry in action. In the foreground, a bison skull, a frequent icon in his work, alludes to a lost way of life in the Old West.
More information: https://www.metmuseum.org/
Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK.
Visit Tulsa, Oklahoma to enjoy many examples of Remington art in America at the Gilcrease Museum. The ongoing exhibition ‘To Endure in Bronze’ was named after a quote from Remington. ‘My oils will all be old and watery, that is, in time they will look like stale molasses, my watercolors will fade but I will have to endure in bronze.’ His legacy is the inspiration for the exhibition, which also includes works by Charles Russell, James Earl Fraser, and Harmon Atkins McNeil.
More information: https://gilcrease.org/
Art Institute of Chicago
In the city and near Lake Michigan you can visit the sprawling Art Institute of Chicago to see Remington art in America. The nation’s second largest art museum has an impressive collection of Frederic Remington’s work, although not all exhibits are on display. Here you can see the painting of ‘The Advance Guard’ also known as ‘The Military Sacrifice’, painted in 1890. The work depicts the moment a soldier is shot by a Sioux warrior and the resulting retreat of his regiment.
More information: https://www.artic.edu/
