The Smoke Signal 1905

Frederic Remington made this painting of a smoke signal sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The earthy palette and smooth brushstrokes give it a kind of calmness. It’s like Remington is trying to freeze a moment in time, but painting is always a process; it’s never really still. Look closely, and you’ll see how Remington uses thin layers of paint to build up the figures and landscape. The colors blend softly, especially in the sky, but there's a kind of stillness and rigidity to the scene, like a staged tableau. See the handprint on the white horse? It's so clearly delineated, with such a specific color. It could be a branding or just a detail, but it becomes this focal point, symbolizing ownership and marking, which feels relevant to the historical context of this painting, and to the whole Western genre. Remington’s paintings remind me a little of those by Charles Marion Russell. But where Russell’s paintings sometimes feel more anecdotal, Remington’s have a certain heroic quality, even if it’s tinged with melancholy. Art, after all, is a conversation across time, an ongoing exploration of ideas and experiences.