Frederic Sackrider Remington (American, 1861–1909). <em>The Outlier</em>, 1909. Oil on canvas, frame: 51 1/2 x 38 1/2 x 2 in. (130.8 x 97.8 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Bequest of Charlotte R. Stillman, 55.43 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 55.43_PS20.jpg)

Frederic Sackrider Remington (American, 1861–1909). The Outlier, 1909. Oil on canvas, frame: 51 1/2 x 38 1/2 x 2 in. (130.8 x 97.8 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Bequest of Charlotte R. Stillman, 55.43 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 55.43_PS20.jpg)

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What is this painting about?

Frederic Sackrider Remington's "The Outlier" depicts a Native American man alone in the wilderness on his horse. The rifle in his hand is a sign of his contact with European settlers, who brought firearms to the American West.

The United States Government had previously been in conflict with the Native peoples during the Plains Indians Wars, which ended in 1890, so this was something of a nostalgic subject in 1909. The sunset behind him may symbolize the demise of this man's culture.

This can also be seen as a very American take on the Impressionist style that was established in Paris in the late 19th century.

This work intrigues me, here's a picture!

Interesting choice! "The Outlier" by Frederic Remington belongs to a similar tradition of superficial interest in the "exotic" -- the supposedly more authentic Native American way of life out West. Unlike many artists of the time however, Remington actually traveled widely in the areas whose inhabitants he was depicting, especially in the Dakotas, Arizona, and Texas. This painting of a Native American man on horseback was one of the last works Remington completed before passing away in 1909.

Is this painter from the same family as the Remington rifle makers?

Whoa! You know your history! Yes, Frederic Sackrider Remington was a cousin to Eliphalet Remington, the founder of the Remington Arms Company.

The Outlier

Frederic Sackrider Remington

American Art

On View: American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, From Colonies to States, 1660–1830

In this nocturnal scene, the Native American appears as something of a lone relic, disconnected from his culture and ambiguously detached from a specific historical moment. Depicted in isolation, the figure simultaneously suggests former glory and inevitable demise, a fate that most European Americans at this time considered to be certain for Native Americans.

Frederic Sackrider Remington painted many versions of the solitary Native American—a motif inspired by the lingering psychological impact of his harrowing experience in wartime Cuba as a war correspondent. However, it is the American Impressionist–inspired style, featuring broken brushwork and lightened palette, that dominates the painting’s narrative content.

ARTIST Frederic Sackrider Remington, American, 1861–1909

MEDIUM Oil on canvas

DATES 1909

DIMENSIONS frame: 51 1/2 x 38 1/2 x 2 in. (130.8 x 97.8 x 5.1 cm) 40 x 27 1/16 in. (101.6 x 68.8 cm) (show scale)

SIGNATURE Signed lower right "Frederic Remington / 1909"

COLLECTIONS American Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 55.43

CREDIT LINE Bequest of Charlotte R. Stillman

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, From Colonies to States, 1660–1830

CAPTION Frederic Sackrider Remington (American, 1861–1909). The Outlier, 1909. Oil on canvas, frame: 51 1/2 x 38 1/2 x 2 in. (130.8 x 97.8 x 5.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Bequest of Charlotte R. Stillman, 55.43 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 55.43_PS20.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 55.43_PS20.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2024

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RIGHTS STATEMENT No known copyright restrictions

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