Saturday, May 25, 2013

Alfred Jacob Miller


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“Art for Art's Sake” (fine art) is in its infant stage when compared to the time-line of art history. For ages, the artist was considered just another craftsman like coopers, shoemakers and masons.
Not until the Renaissance, when the wealthy city/states bartered for the services of the best painters and sculptors of the time to promote their ideals, did artists begin to be recognized for their accomplishments.
Most artists are long forgotten by history. However some artists were at the right place at the right time to illustrate an event of historical significance. Years later, these artists are promoted to take their place among the important artists of the day when these drawings are rediscovered.
One such artist is Alfred Jacob Miller who went west in 1837 and recorded for history the Rocky Mountain Fur Trapper and the American Indians of the area. This was toward the end of the fur trade and the Native American way of life.
I copied Miller's painting above and utilized other visual eye–witness accounts for the drawing on the top right.


The sculpture below was created almost exclusively from the study of Alfred Jacob Millers drawings.


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