Our entire family loves westerns. But I often wonder if we really have any idea how life was in the trans-Mississippi West after the Civil War.
I took a class many years ago with Dr. Julian Pleasants about the American West. Dr. Pleasants routinely challenged the modern view of the Old West. Violence and lawlessness prevailed and savage range wars and battles between Latter Day Saints and Native Americans splashed the landscape in blood and death.
How then did we get such a marvelous wealth of art, literature and music celebrating the west?
The West of the past appeals to our spirit of adventure, and so many artists and authors capture that in their paintings and books.Perhaps the real beauty of the American West is in the pioneer spirit demonstrated by Americans as they moved in search of a place to build their homes and make a place for their families.
1 comments:
Is that a Charles Russell painting? It looks like it might be his signature in the corner. He is my father's favorite artist. There are more books on Charlie Russell in my parents house than I can count. I actually found one Dad didn't have and gave it to him for Father's Day this year.
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