A day trip to Remington’s West.

On a bright sunny day, my wife and I sometimes Iike a quick hop across the border to Ogdensburg, New York. The treat for me is a visit to the Frederic Remington Museum: Classics of American art, the dream of the Wild West, painted (and sculpted) not an hour from Ottawa.

Now if Frederic Remington had worked elsewhere, I might not take such an interest, but it’s a fascinating bit of Americana right here on our doorstep. Remington spent much of his working life in Ogdensburg and surprisingly didn’t actually spend much time out west. In 1900 he wrote to his wife: “Shall never come west again-It is all brick buildings-derby hats and blue overalls-it spoils my early illusion-and they are my capital”.

He had some trouble shaking off the tag of being “just an illustrator”, probably with some reason, at least initially, but then I particularly like his later nocturnes where he got more painterly in palette and technique. The western subject matter may just be a romantic fiction, but there’s no doubting his competence and he was a master at painting horses. He was one of the first artists to correctly paint a horse at a gallop. Prior to Remington, they all got the gait wrong.

My wife loves his now super pricey bronzes and he was at least as well known for these.

As you might expect the museum does a great job as a memorial to the work and the man. Lunch is just around the corner at the somewhat drolly named Busy Corner Cafe (234 Ford St.) and then there’s always time for a bit of shopping for basics.

All in all a very nice day out!