It’s more forceful in its expressive exaggerations, such as the way the front of the locomotive pushes ahead of the rest of the train, and the use of line is freer, more expressive, and less self-conscious. Personally, I like the drawing a little better than the print, although both are marvelous. The dimensions of drawing and print are identical, indicating that the drawing is a direct preparatory study, surely also made in 1934. You don’t get any emotional kick out of what you can’t see.Īs you know, this is a preparatory study for Benton’s lithograph Going West, which was issued by the Ferargil Galleries 1934, in an edition of 75, and is often regarded as Benton’s finest print. The Diesels have never had the same interest for me chiefly because their driving mechanisms are not visible. Steam powered railroad trains were fascinating all my life. Benton himself wrote nostalgically of trains of this sort: In his hands it becomes a living thing, the embodiment of life, force, energy, and the American spirit. Figures such as Marsh wonderfully capture the externals of a steam locomotive, but Benton in some magical way seems to become the train. Other great American artists such as Reginald Marsh made wonderful representations of trains, but this image is in a class by itself. The image is both modern, with a sense of movement and energy that recalls the Italian Futurists, and wonderfully American in its evocation of the great open spaces of the American West. I would not hesitate to rank this piece as one of the most outstanding drawings of the 20th century by any American artist. Indeed, if one were choosing one drawing by him to sum up his artistic achievement, I can’t think of a better example. Wagon Train has been credited with helping to popularize Westerns in television during this era and has since become an iconic part of American culture, and is still remembered fondly today by fans who grew up watching it or who have discovered it through reruns or streaming services like Netflix or Hulu Plus.Author of Thomas Hart Benton: An American OriginalĪt the risk of seeming to indulge in hyperbole, I think this is one of Benton’s very finest drawings, ranking with the best drawings by him I have seen. It also featured some famous guest stars such as James Arness (Gunsmoke), Robert Redford (Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid) and Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry). The show was popular for its time due to its realistic portrayal of life on the American frontier at that time period. Along the way, they encountered Native Americans, outlaws, natural disasters and other obstacles that threatened their journey. Each episode featured different characters with their own stories, which often intertwined with each other as they all traveled together in search of a better life in California. The series focused on the trials and tribulations of traveling in a covered wagon across America's vast western frontier. The show was created by John Champion and starred Ward Bond as Major Seth Adams, the leader of the wagon train. The show follows a wagon train of settlers from Missouri, headed west to California during the mid-1800s. Wagon Train is an American western television series that aired on NBC and ABC from 1957 to 1965. BradyĪll Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping Wagon Train at Port Royal, Rappahannock River, 1861-65.
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