Post (C) Doris McCraw aka
Angela Raines
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| Image (C) Doris McCraw |
The vast vistas called to people like Charles Russell, Frederic Remington, and Albert Bierstadt, who drew and painted what they saw. Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and later Enos Mills were proponents of conservation.
Valley of the Yosemite, 1863
Albert Bierstadt
Anyone who has studied a Russell or Remington work can almost feel and smell the dust, sweat, and tears of their subject. Bierstadt, with his almost mystical representation of the West, helped contribute to the myth.
Devils Slide, 1871, Montana
William Henry Jackson
The photographers, such as William Henry Jackson, documented on film what the artists did with paint.
At the same time, Roosevelt, Muir, and Mills, as time passed, helped to preserve what those early settlers and adventurers to the West saw.
The trappers, pathfinders, gold seekers, and dreamers all helped to create what we know as the West, and the artists and photographers documented that era. The conservationists made sure we could, in some small way, experience what our predecessors did.
So, when we think of the West, let us also think of the others who documented the area and helped preserve it for future generations.
Of course, there were women who contributed, but that is for another post.
Until Next Time,
Doris
Good point, Doris. We have so many artists and conservationists to be thankful for. What we know of the west is largely their gift to us.
ReplyDeleteDennis, Thank you. As a photographer and history buff, I had spent a lot of time looking at this things. Just felt I wanted to maybe have others see what I've seen. Doris
DeleteDoris, thanks for this reminder. If it weren't for the early artists and photographers who journeyed west, the bulk of the American populace--not to mention the rest of the world--might never have known about the glorious landscapes of the west, and surely would not have embraced western writing like they did.
ReplyDeleteJeff, I confess, I go to galleries, online, etc. when I need to find inspiration for why I do what I do and the importance of keeping this history alive. Doris
ReplyDeleteOh, Dori, you are SO right! I worked for 2 years at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum here in Oklahoma City, and what a joy to go to work every day. We had a HUGE Bierstadt and then a couple of smaller ones, and several Russells and Remingtons. Just loved being able to wander through the galleries every day and look at all that fabulous artwork, and every year in June-Sept. I think it is, they hold the Prix de West art competition and exhibition. Just so many beautiful pieces of art from so many different artists, many of them landscapes of the west. It's that kind of artwork that opens the imagination for so many! Great post.
ReplyDeleteCheryl, I love that museum and the programs they offer. Additionally, the work of the masters along with the new works keep our stories and histories alive.
DeleteI'm glad this post resonates with people. Doris