End of the Race c. 1920

Edward Borein made this print, 'End of the Race,' using a plate to capture a scene of a cowboy roping a steer. It’s all in shades of grey, a dance of light and shadow etched into the metal. I imagine Borein bending over that plate, his hand moving with the burin, a tiny tool carving out this whole world. You can almost feel the tension in the rope, the way the horse is straining, the steer’s wild energy. I wonder what Borein was thinking about, what stories he wanted to tell about the West. The landscape itself becomes this character. The shadows are not just shadows, they add depth, they suggest movement and the unforgiving sun. It reminds me of Remington and Russell. These artists were all in conversation, each adding their own voice to the chorus of the American West. And it makes you think about how painting isn’t just about what you see, it’s about what you feel, how the artist’s hand can make you feel something too.