Shaping the West: American Sculptors of the 19th Century (Western Passages)

Shaping the West, the sixth edition of Western Passages, focuses on sculpture—an often overlooked, neglected, and misunderstood form of artistic expression. Sculpture has too often taken a backseat to painting, and this is equally true for western American art. Almost everyone recognizes Frederic Remington's iconic bronze The Broncho Buster, but beyond this and a few other examples the familiarity begins to wane. Yet when one surveys the quality and professionalism of sculptors working in western themes during the late 1800s and early 1900s, the output is astounding. During this period in American art, sculpture could rank as the more popular medium given the significance and frequency of public commissions and the mass appeal of smaller bronzes. So why are these accomplished and celebrated artists and artworks not widely known to us today? This generously illustrated book aims to help rectify and explore that conundrum.