The cowboy in art,
by Ed Ainsworth
Category: Cowboys in art

"When Cortés landed at Veracruz in 1519, a band of Aztec artists dispatched by Montezuma hastily sketched pictures of a new and terrifying monster that accompanied the Spaniards--a strange four-legged creature with a tail like straws and the body of a man rising from its shoulders. These drawings were the first pictorial representations of a man on horseback created in the New World. Horses spread rapidly throughout South America and ultimately wild hordes invaded Texas and California. The era of the American cowboy was born. Since that time, the cowboy and his horse have inspired thousands of remarkable works of art. In a magnificent pictorial survey, Ed Ainsworth shows the various ways in which this folk hero has been depicted in painting and sculpture, from the arrival of the Spaniards in the New World to the present. Steeped in the legend and nostalgia that have always surrounded the American cowboy, [this book] tells the complete history of cowboy art and artists--a story as romantic and exciting as the rugged conquests of the cowboys themselves. The artists lured West to paint the visual history of that region in the 19th and early 20th centuries were a restless, spirited breed. Many were cowpunchers and bronco busters; they were courageous men dedicated to a life of adventure. Every important artist of the West is covered in this survey: Charlie Russell and Frederic Remington, most critics' choice for the two greatest painters of the cowboy and Western range scene; Frank Reaugh, dubbed the 'Rembrandt of the Longhorns'; Charles Schreyvogel, whose paintings won special commendation from President Theodore Roosevelt; Olaf Seltzer, who ruined his eyes painting more than l00 miniatures--only 5ʺ x 6ʺ--that are prized by collectors throughout the world; and many, many other noteworthy painters and sculptors. In a fascinating chapter devoted to 'Will James,' Mr. Ainsworth clears up many of the mysteries surrounding this 'Lone Cowboy.' The author also examines the work of the top cowboy artists of today--among them: Peter Hurd, Ken Ralston, Burt Procter, Olaf Wieghorst (who did the painting on the front jacket of this book), Joe De Yong, and Melvin C. Warren (whose paintings have been bought by President Johnson and Governor John Connally of Texas). A chapter entitled 'Cowpunchers in Cartoons' takes a look at Western artists who gained their primary fame as cartoonists--J.R. Williams ('Out Our Way'), Vic Forsythe ('Way Out West'), and Fred Harmon, Jr. ('Red Ryder'). A volume that will be treasured by Western buffs and art lovers alike, The Cowboy in Art is sumptuously illustrated with 250 illustrations in black-and-white and I6 pages in full color."--Dust jacket.