Amy Morris - Muesum Visit

Frederic Remington
The Luckless Hunter
1909
Oil on canvas
26 7/8 inches x 28 7/8 inches
http://www.sidrichardsonmuseum.org/nu_site/collection.php/art/66

The name of the painting I chose is called “The Luckless Hunter” which is oil on canvas done in 1909. This painting by Remington depicts a Native American man seated on his horse on a cold winter’s night wrapped in what appears to be a blanket underneath a clear starry sky. This painting drew me to it because the man’s posture on his horse and just the shear emotion in his face makes you wonder how long he was out hunting for food. The horse he is riding looks thin as well, and it made me think that he and his horse hadn’t eaten for quite some time.
The man and horse are located in the foreground of the painting and the background is a field with dark blue colors indicating night hours. There are several stars in the sky appearing very small giving some distance between him and the background. The man and his horse seem to be one body, depicted in profile, moving straight ahead into the night, hungry and sorrowful.
The source of light in this painting is implied. Since the sky in the background gradually changes from light grey to dark grey, so I imagined that it was a moonlit night. There are some stars in the sky, but since there is a shadow underneath the horse, the moon, is alluded to as the light source.
The artist used thick brush strokes throughout the painting, creating texture on the canvas. With creating the effect for the snow, I saw multiple strokes in different directions making that part of the painting appear to have a raised effect. Detail on the man’s face and the horses’ body acted well as a focal point in drawing my attention. The artist used different types of lines: short, long, thick and thin to bring out the detail in the man’s blanket, the horses’ reins and its face. The artist’s use of color and shadows truly details the figures in the foreground.
The painting is two dimensional and the artist creates depth with the brush strokes he uses. For the snow on the foreground he layers the paint and with the man and his horse he uses thinner brush strokes, carefully outlining their figures to show the emotion. I think that the painting does not project but pulls you in. I couldn’t help wonder what the man is thinking or where he will rest for the night.
Though the painting mainly uses grey, blue, black, and white, the artist’s masterful use of the colors brings the painting together. He gives detail to the figures and makes them the focal point of the piece and gradates the colors in the background from light to dark. It is a cold wintry night, so there are no unnecessary vibrant colors. The intensity of the painting is created with the man’s facial expression and his posture on the horse. Although the painting is 100 years old, its imagery leaves a lasting impression.