On the Head-Waters--Burgess Finding a Ford

Art Historical Context

Frederic Remington's *On the Head-WatersBurgess Finding a Ford (ca. 1893) captures a pivotal moment in the American: a frontiersman named Burgess scouting a shallow crossing on a remote river's headwaters, accompanied by horses. This watercolor on paper, measuring 20½ × 30½ inches, vividly evokes the rugged challenges of exploration and travel in the late 19th century, when settlers and adventurers navigated untamed landscapes. Remington, a master of American realism and the Western genre, excelled at portraying the dynamism of cowboy life, horses, and the frontier's harsh beauty. His use of watercolor allowed for luminous effects of light on water and fluid motion in the animals, contrasting the sharp details of human figures against vast wilderness. Created during Remington's prolific illustration period for magazines like *Harper's Weekly*, the work reflects the era's fascination with Manifest Destiny and the fading Old West. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing as an anonymous gift in 1962, this piece highlights Remington's cultural legacy in romanticizing—and preserving—America's mythic frontier. Visitors will appreciate how it immerses us in a bygone adventure, blending historical grit with artistic bravado.

About the Artist

Frederic Remington · 1861–1909

Frederic Remington (1861–1909) was an American painter, sculptor, and illustrator who became the preeminent visual chronicler of the American West. Born in Canton, New York, he studied briefly at the Yale School of the Fine Arts and the Art Students League of New York before making his first trip west in 1881, where he found the subject matter that would define his career. Remington's paintings a...