During a career that spanned less than 30 years, Frederic Remington produced a huge body of work,the vast majority of it centered on the West. His influence in creating the myth of the Wild West cannot be overestimated. His later oils presented impressionistic scenes in which the West, now entirely confined to memory, was infused with a mystery and poetry the present could not erase.
Born in St. Louis, Russell came to Montana as a boy of 16 fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming a real cowboy. His love of the Indian culture, sense of humor and flair for portraying action were all evident even in his earliest works. Russell felt deeply the passing of the West, the most evident theme of his art. His work reflected the public demand for authenticity, yet the soul of his art was romance.
Among the works acquired by Mr. Richardson are those of several other well-known, Western artists, including Frank Tenny Johnson, Oscar Berninghaus and Charles Schreyvogel. Tributes to the West of old, these paintings offer another view of the days now only a memory.
