Up Close and Personal

Collectorʼs Focus: Faces of the West

Some of the first imagery within Western art are portraits done by George Catlin and Karl Bodmer in the first half of the 19th century. Not only are they early and important entries in the Western art canon, but they are also astounding examples of early American figurative paintings. These subjects, many of them Native American men encountered by the artists on their adventures in the West, have all the qualities of a great portrait, including all of the beautiful imperfections that make humans unique.

Winold Reiss (1886-1953), Indian Madonna, mixed media on paper, 29 x 21 in

Artwork featuring the figure has persisted in the genre nearly 200 years since Bodmer and Catlin first painted their formal portraits of their Native American subjects. We’ve included examples here from Dean Cornwell and Winold Reiss, but the list of artists who have given special attention to the figure and the face runs deep: Tom Lovell, Ken Riley, Joseph Henry Sharp, Eanger Irving Couse and E. Martin Hennings, as well as living artists Carrie Ballantyne, Dean Mitchell, Gary Ernest Smith, Rachel Brownlee, Tony Pro, Logan Maxwell Hagege, Morgan Weistling, Scott Tallman Powers, Jeremy Lipking, Susan Lyon and Howard Terpning, whose work with faces in the 1960s made him a legend in the illustration community. There are hundreds of others.

What’s remarkable about these works, and the entire sub-genre, is how simple images of people—either standing, seated or close-ups of their faces—are imbued with all the drama of an epic painting with countless subjects in a grand landscape scene. Human emotion, be it in the form of a furrowed brow or a piercing gaze, can have a remarkable presence in a painted work. It offers storytelling opportunities that are more personal and more intimate than any other kind of painting. The human face can fill us with hope, joy, pride, courage, peace and reverence. It can do so much with so little.

Top: Dean Cornwell (1892-1960), Portrait, oil on canvas, 30 x 24 in.; Karl Bodmer (1809-1893), Upsichtä, Mandan Man, watercolor and graphite on paper, 125/8 x 10 in. Bottom: Legacy Gallery, The Welcoming Party, oil, 23 x 36 in., by Morgan Weistling; Legacy Gallery, Once Upon a Time, oil, 36 x 36 in., by John Moyers.

As we celebrate the people of the West, we hope you look a little closer at the faces in these works, and in the rest of the magazine. These faces tell larger-than-life stories.

For example, Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona, has a robust catalog that includes faces of the West. Consider Terri Kelly Moyers’ oil painting Musica, depicting a woman playing a guitar. Artist John Moyers is known for his scenes of cowboys, landscapes and Native Americans. His work with faces and portraits is legendary. “I paint what excites me. Maybe for two months all I want to do is landscapes, then maybe Native Americans and then Mexican pieces. Hopefully, I’m improving all the time.”

Artist Morgan Weistling’s intimate portrayals shed new light on the Old West as he captures the mood and atmosphere of the past. His oils, like The Welcome Party,are filled with lush brushwork of thick and thin paint that create a realistic impression. His attention to the historical aspects of his subjects comes from his desire to portray the truth and beauty of America’s pioneering spirit.

Legacy Gallery, Musica, oil, 36 x 24 in., by Terri Kelly Moyers.; Kevin Red Star Gallery, Yellow Bird, acrylic mixed media on canvas, 36 x 24 in., by Kevin Red Star; Southwest Gallery, Gun for Hire, oil on canvas, 36 x 24 in., by Robert Hagan.

Born in 1943 on the Crow Reservation in Lodge Grass, Montana, Kevin Red Star has long been a powerful voice in Native American art. Today, he is celebrated as a visual historian, cultural ambassador and pioneer of Native contemporary art. His paintings, often featuring horses and ceremonial life, are held in major museum collections across the country. Many of his pieces depict faces of Native American warriors.

Kevin Red Star Gallery, Plains Indian Warrior with War Paint, acrylic mixed media on canvas, 36 x 36 in., by Kevin Red Star; Southwest Gallery, Wind in Her Hair, oil on board, 15 x 13 in., by Tony Eubanks.

In September 2024, Red Star opened the Kevin Red Star Gallery in Red Lodge, Montana, alongside his grandson Mason Miller and his wife, Jovenai Rosselott. The gallery marks a meaningful return to the region near his ancestral home. More than an art space, the gallery is a multigenerational family endeavor and cultural hub. It offers not just art exhibitions but artist talks, receptions and a deeper connection to Crow culture. It’s a place where tradition, innovation and family come together in vibrant, living color.

Kevin Red Star Gallery, Jack Rabbit Runs, acrylic mixed media on canvas, 36 x 48 in., by Kevin Red Star.

Western art has always been a defining part of Southwest Gallery’s 60-year legacy. “Our exceptional artists work in a variety of styles—from contemporary to traditional—while maintaining a deep reverence for the classical vision of Western subjects that consistently take center stage,” says gallery representatives. “We proudly share our enduring connection to Western art through the remarkable works of our talented artists.”

Experience the expressive faces in John Cook’s captivating portraits of cowboys and Native Americans, painted in his signature “impatient realism” style. His fascination with the rugged characters of the New West energizes his canvases with vivid, earthy color. The gallery celebrates the bold and commanding imagery of Robert Hagan, whose popular large-scale paintings of horses and riders bring the raw, gritty spirit of the West to life with dynamic brushwork and power.

Southwest Gallery, Man in Charge, oil on canvas, 40 x 30 in., by John Cook.

Also connect with the subtle elegance of Tony Eubanks, a veteran artist whose traditional Western scenes radiate a quiet reverence for the peaceful beauty of the Old West. His work is a heartfelt tribute to a poetic and enduring heritage. —