Artwork
A New Year on the Cimarron
A New Year on the Cimarron is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Frederic Remington. It dates from 1903 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
About this work
Overview
Frederic Remington’s 1903 oil painting *A New Year on the Cimarron* is part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The work presents a quiet moment on the western frontier, focusing on two cowhands beside a small campfire as they contemplate the landscape before them.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows two men in typical frontier dress—one hat‑clad, the other with long hair—seated on the ground beside a brown‑and‑white horse. A modest fire crackles at their feet, its smoke drifting upward, while the figures stare pensively toward the rolling hills, suggesting a pause in the endless travel of the open range.
Technique & Style
Rendered in oil, Remington employs warm, earthy tones and soft, blended brushstrokes that convey the gentle glow of firelight against the expansive sky. The subtle modulation of color and light creates an intimate atmosphere, emphasizing the quiet stillness of the scene rather than dramatic action.
History & Provenance
Completed in 1903, the painting entered the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s holdings in the early twentieth century, where it has remained on view as an example of Remington’s later, more contemplative work beyond his well‑known action scenes.
Context
Created during a period when Remington was shifting from dynamic depictions of frontier conflict to more reflective portrayals, the piece reflects a broader cultural nostalgia for the disappearing American West at the turn of the century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Frederic Sackrider Remington was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in the genre of Western American Art.
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