Themes of the American West have been enduringly popular, and The American West in Bronze features sixty-five iconic bronzes that display a range of subjects, from portrayals of the noble Indian to rough-and-tumble scenes of rowdy cowboys to tributes to the pioneers who settled the lands west of the Mississippi. Fascinating texts offer a fresh look at the roles that artists played in creating interpretations of the “vanishing West”—whether based on fact, fiction, or something in-between. These artists, including Charles M. Russell and Frederic Remington, embody a range of life experiences and artistic approaches. Some grew up in the West and based their artwork on first-hand experience, while others never set foot west of the Rockies. Four thematic sections—Indians, animals, cowboys, and settlers—are illustrated with new photography and provide a cultural overview to the works presented.  Also included are biographies of the artists, each illustrated with a vintage portrait, plus an illustrated chronology of historical and artistic events.

Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press

Exhibition Schedule:


The Metropolitan Museum of Art

(12/17/13–04/13/14)

Denver Art Museum
(05/09/14–08/31/14)


Nanjing Museum
(October 2014–January 2015)

Contributions by: Carol Lea Clark, Brian W. Dippie, Peter H. Hassrick, Karen Lemmey, Jessica Murphy