Biography of Frederic Remmington

Frederic Remington

Frederic Remington was born October 4, 1861 to Seth and Clara Remington. He was an American illustrator, painter, writer, and sculptor who focused on the Old West. From my observations on his art, he focuses on the people, the animals, and the action of the West. His paintings don’t show much in the way of landscapes or nature. This is probably why he gained so much traction in his time, people wanted to see the ideal cowboys and Indians of the west at that time, not the landscape. This isn't to say that he didn't have the ability, we can see his landscape painting ability in his painting “Coming to the Call.” But he did have an acute ability to capture action better than a camera, he once wrote, “the artist must know more than the camera... (the horse must be) incorrectly drawn from the photographic standpoint (to achieve the desired effect).” (Samuels, 84) You can see this ability in his sculptures, or in his painting “A Dash for the Timber.” He exemplified the cowboy image in his works, and was so successful as a Western Illustrator that other Western artists of the time were known as members of the “School of Remmington” (Samuels, ix).

Remington grew up in the east, but had spent some time in the west, trying to get into the booming sheep ranching business, but he soon found out he didnt like it, and the ranchers around him just thought of him as lazy (Samuels, 43). But because of this he, when he submitted his illustrations for publication with with Western themes, he was given credibility because of his exagerated Cowboy personality and history (Samuels, 61). With a new source of income he was able to survive on his art. And as he got better and better, he worked for more and more publications. Soon he was comissioned by Theodore Roosevelt to illustrate his book. This gave Remington a large boost in his career. While he hadn't yet won any awards, his painting “Return of the Blackfoot War Party” was shown at the National Academy of Design. The New York Herald claimed that Remington would “one day be listed among our great American painters”. (Samuels, 93) It seems they were right.

He started gaining fame with magazines like Harpers Weekly promoting him. He was in more and more art exhibits, and his western personality drew people to him. His fame soon helped him form a bond with Army officials, so he would draw them and help them gain fame, they would give him access to soilder's stories, so he could draw them. Remington went to one such place, right after the Massacre