Frederic Remington
Born in 1861, Frederic Remington grew up in New York. From a young age, Remington would sketch soldiers and cowboys. This artistic inclination toward soldiers and cowboys is what Remington is most well-known for. He would eventually have a career as an artist, painting pictures and casting sculptures inspired by the American West.
But prior to this artistic career, Remington was employed as an illustrator for various papers and magazines, including Harper's Bazaar, The New York Herald, and The New York Journal. [1]
Two of Remington's most well-known illustrations from his time at The New York Journal relate to the Cuban Revolution and the Spanish American War.
One illustration depicts a Cuban woman being taken to the deck of a ship and being strip searched by Spanish soldiers. This drawing and accompanying story riled up the American public, with members of Congress denouncing the Spanish officers in Cuba.
However, when the woman the story supposedly centered on was tracked down by The New York World (The New York Journal's main competitor), it was revealed that the woman had been searched by a female officer in a cabin, not by male officers on the deck of a ship.
Another illustration of Remington's depicted the USS Maine being destroyed by a Spanish mine. This depiction only further enraged the American public in regards to the actions of the Spanish in Cuba. The image implied that it was
the Spanish who were responsible for the explosion of the Maine and the death of the sailors onboard.
The cause of the explosion has never been confirmed. However, the
destruction of the Maine was most likely due to an internal error, potentially the coal bunker for the ship being located near the ship's magazines. The heat generated by the bunker could have caused the magazines to ignite, resulting in the ship's explosion. [2]
Remington's illustrations of the Spanish in Cuba enraged the American public. His illustrations brought life to the stories they accompanied, and helped to sway the American people to favor a war with the Spanish, eventually leading to the Spanish-American War.
Footnotes
[1] “Frederic Remington (1861-1909) Biography: Medicine Man Gallery.” Medicinemangallery.com. Accessed July 28, 2020. https://www.medicinemangallery.com/frederic-remington-biography.
[2] Streimatter, Rodger. Mightier than the Sword. New York, NY: Westview Press, 2016.
​
Image
​
“National Gallery of Art.” Frederic Remington. Frederic Remington Art Museum. Accessed July 28, 2020. https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/frederic-remington.html.
Streimatter, Rodger. Mightier than the Sword. New York, NY: Westview Press, 2016.