Remington and Russell in Black and White explores works made specifically for illustration by famed Western American painters Frederic Remington and Charles Russell. Pairing the artist’s original black and white compositions alongside printed examples in books and magazines, the exhibition invites viewers to explore works created for a public fascinated by stories of the American West.

“Remington and Russell are the premier painters who established the genre of the American West,” said Scott Winterrowd, Sid Richardson Museum director. “It is through their published works that they gained a wide audience across the country, making them two of the most popular artists of their day.”

Remington’s first commercial illustration appeared in 1882, and a few short years later his career was established when he began a close working relationship with Harper’s Weekly magazine. In his fifteen-year relationship with Harper’s, Remington illustrated articles and authored over 100 stories. Beyond that important partnership, his work appeared in 142 books and 41 periodicals, including Scribner’s Magazine, Outing, Century Magazine, and Collier’s Weekly.

Early in his career Russell sold an illustration to Harper’s Weekly in 1888, but apart from occasional book and magazine projects, his real output in illustration wouldn’t begin until after his first trip to New York in 1904. Russell found commercial success in both illustrating and selling the rights to his paintings for reproductions in calendars, advertisements, and as prints. He created black and white works in oil, watercolor and gouache, and pen and ink sketches until the end of his life in 1926.