Here’s an interesting word that we’ve all been trying to figure out lately: “semiquincentennial.” It feels abnormally large and strange because we simply have not had to use it for anything. When was the last time you celebrated something that was 250 years old? And yet here we all are, celebrating America’s 250th birthday together.
During this historic milestone, it’s important to reflect on who we are, where we came from and what it means to be an American. I’m not going to presume to know your answers to those questions because they often are very personal to each individual. But there is one thing I do know: simply because you’re holding this magazine and reading these words, you must be passionate about Western art. So maybe you share my opinion that Western art is one of the purest forms of American art that has emerged in the last 250 years.
It’s an art form that speaks to our history, traditions and character: We’re a nation of explorers and adventurers. We are curious and yearn for knowledge and majesty, and seek it out whether it’s on the steepest cliff face, deepest canyon or most remote wilderness in the country. We are full of grit and determination, and are willing to sweat through the dust and hardship of achievement. We are a people who seek out beauty, greatness and freedom. And we celebrate the land, its people and its wildlife. These traits easily describe every Western artwork ever created.
Of course, America has a great art history, including movements that speak to the American experience. The Ashcan School chronicled the rise of industrialization and the explosive development in our great cities. The Hudson River School showed us the glory and splendor of nature. Other important developments arrived with American Regionalism, the Harlem Renaissance, American Impressionism and even modern that created seismic shifts in the 20th century.
While these art forms, and others not mentioned, are important and vital to our American identity, Western art occupies a special place within the soul of this country. Whether it’s cowboys rounding up cattle on open ranges, Native American tribes hunting in vast seas of buffalo, pioneers braving ferocious conditions to search for a better life in the West, or even just a single animal in nature untouched by human hand, these are images that define us as a people, and a country.
As you ponder your own American identity during the semiquincentennial, thank you for reading Western Art Collector.
Michael Clawson
Executive Editor
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