The Parley 1903

Frederic Remington made "The Parley" with oils, and what strikes me is the balance between detail and gesture. The scene is bathed in a warm, almost monochromatic palette, focusing on tans and ochres. But within that, there’s so much going on in the brushwork. Look at the way he renders the shadows on the ground. It's not just flat color; you can almost feel the dry, scratchy texture of the landscape. I'm drawn to the way he captures the light hitting the horses. See how the paint is thicker there, almost sculptural? It makes them feel so present, so alive. It reminds me of how Sargent used to build up his surfaces, giving his portraits a real sense of weight and presence. And though the narrative here is specific, it also feels like an open question – who are these figures? What's the deal? As with all great painting, ambiguity wins out over clarity.