Frederic Remington : the masterworks

It would be easy to dismiss Remington's Wild West panorama with his glorified cowboys and noble savages, his ready-made melancholy and sunsets. While this catalogue of a traveling exhibition recognizes the painter's vocal jingoism and racism, it aims to show that he was much more than a facile celebrant of American frontier life. In Remington's later paintings, a literal realism gave way to impressionism and symbolism. His pure, almost abstract landscapes and romantic nocturnes suggest that white settlers could live in harmony with nature instead of imposing their will on it. The energy and dynamism of his darkly encrusted, cantilevered sculptures are undeniable. Remington's awareness that the destruction of Amerindian civilization was a national tragedy is reflected in his little-known, melodramatic novels and short stories, as one of the essays here makes clear. With 180 plates (half in color), this album highlights his diverse artistic outlets, from photography to drawing. Shapiro is chief curator at the St. Louis Art Museum; Hassrick is director of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. BOMC dividend selection, American Artist Book Club alternate. (March).