Masterpieces of Western American Art

by J. Gray Sweeney

The western frontier is captured like never before in this poignant and romantically beautiful picture book. The 125 representative paintings of the wild west are arranged by themes such as the nostalgia of the boy, majestic vistas, thundering hoofbeats, and modes of transport. Including such renowned artists as Georgia O'Keeffe, Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, George Catlin, and George Caleb it's a great American gift item!

Genres: Art

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1991

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have rated this book 5 stars if it had just had the reproductions of the paintings and basic information such as title, author, year painted, etc. I would have rated this book 1 star if it had been only the heavily-biased commentary. The organization of the book was “thematic” as opposed to chronological thereby ignoring linear artistic history, schools, and developments in favor of commentary very much in line with the academic theories of the 1990s when this book was published.

[Misbah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An art and history lesson about Western America in is early days. I can't believe the detail in these oil paintings!
My favorite was the Rocky mountains - Landers peak by Albert Bierstadt.

[VeeDawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork pictured here is interesting and worth studying, the author's commentary less so. His discussion is only very briefly about artists' compositions, color, and technique--the 'masterpiece' part of the art. He spends a great deal of time criticizing the artists' cultural bias and the effect it had on society. I must say I really couldn't 'see' some problems he focused on. Several of the works of art seemed really amazing to me.