The Mountain Man 1903 - 1907

Frederic Remington's bronze sculpture, "The Mountain Man," captures the rugged spirit of the American West. The figure of the mountain man, atop a descending horse, is rendered with remarkable textural detail. Remington employed the lost-wax casting method, a demanding process that involves creating a wax model, encasing it in a mold, melting out the wax, and then pouring molten bronze into the cavity. The metal is allowed to cool and then the mold is broken away. It's a labor-intensive undertaking. This particular bronze, with its rough, textured surface, shows the artist's hand and the energy he invested in the work. The choice of bronze as a material is significant. Durable and weighty, bronze lends a sense of permanence and gravitas to the subject matter. The resulting sculpture embodies the ideals of self-reliance, and the conquest of the American West, whilst also obscuring the reality of labor, class, and politics.