Demo Cowboy #2 

Thomas Blackshear painted this watercolor, called "Demo Cowboy #2," at an unknown date. It is an image that invites us to question the familiar mythology of the American West. In popular culture, cowboys are typically imagined as white men. Here, Blackshear presents us with a Black cowboy, challenging this historical stereotype, asking us to consider the public role of art in representing the diversity of American identities. The visual codes are clear: the cowboy hat, the bandana, but this is where historical associations come into play. What could be the politics of this imagery? To gain a deeper understanding, research into the history of Black cowboys, the social conditions that shape artistic production, and the visual language of American Westerns are useful resources. Art is not made in a vacuum, and it’s up to us as historians to consider the social and institutional context that shapes its meaning.