AMONG THE LED HORSES BY FREDERIC REMINGTON
 |
Frederic Remington Among The Led Horses 1909 Oil on canvas 27 inches x 40 inches |
| In 1909, at his peak as an artist, Remington reveled in his powers. "I let no picture get past me now until I cannot see a flaw." Critics agreed, one saying, "So full of life they are, so chock full of interest, so rippingly painted." The day scenes, filled "with keen dry air and dazzling light," often portrayed violent action. Many of his late works were reaction pieces with the cause hidden, but, in Among the Led Horses, the reason for the story's tension is evident. The trooper has come under fire. Bullets kick up the dirt in the foreground, one of the horses he has been assigned to lead is already down. The enemy, which would have been visible in open country, has achieved the element of surprise by catching the soldiers just as they top a rise. |