Photo courtesy of John Mason Glen
Sculpture by George Phippen
by John Mason Glen, Ph. D., for Western Heritage Foundation
Anyone familiar with the West either has been — or will be — captivated by paintings and sculptures of western action. The names of the most famous artists are well-known.
Charlie Russell (1864-1926) was nicknamed “the cowboy artist” as he actually worked on ranches as a cowboy before becoming a professional artist. Celebrated for his bronze sculptures, he painted over 2,000 works depicting cowboys and Native Americans.
Russell’s oil painting of a group of Piegeon Indians preparing to steal horses from their neighboring Crow tribe recently sold for $5.6 million. My personal favorite is titled “Innocent Allies”, depicts three horses tied on a hilltop above where their riders are robbing a stagecoach.
Frederick Remington (1861-1909). His works focused on realistic westerners, rather than the landscape that primarily had been the focus.
In 1886, he was sent to Arizona to cover the government’s attempt to put down the Apache insurgency. His images of cavalry and Native Americans are some of his most admired works. Remington traveled to Cuba in 1897 in the employ of the New York Journal to cover the insurrection brewing there.
However, his arrival was premature, giving rise to this exchange when the artist wired publisher W. R. Hearst: “All quiet here, no war, wish to return.” Hearst allegedly replied: “Please remain. You supply the pictures; I’ll supply the war.”
Remington’s sculpture Bronco Buster was presented to Col. Theodore Roosevelt by his Rough Riders in 1898 and another of the statuettes graced the Oval Office for over 50 years until 2020.
George Phippen (1915-1966) was a “local boy who made good.” A self-taught artist who began painting during his tenure with the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression and throughout WWII, he co-founded and was the first president of the Cowboy Artists of America.
Phippen produced over 3,000 images of cowboys at work, horses and cattle that reflect a close attention to detail and accuracy. His “Cowboy in a Storm” depicts a cowboy who has roped a calf, however the animal has dashed underneath his horse and calf; horse and rider are now entangled in a “storm” indeed.
This bronze sculpture can be seen at the roundabout adjacent to the Phippen Museum on AZ-89 near Granite Dells.
The Western Heritage Center, 156 S. Montezuma St., displays works by cowboy artists, including Phippen and Remington. Admission is free.
