Rough Rider From the Rees-Jones Collection at The Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas

myminifactory

Borglum created this stunning depiction of a bronze rider during his time studying sculpture in Paris. He was known as "The sculptor of the prairie" for his realistic, action-packed portrayals of men on horses, which were based on his own experiences growing up and working as a cowboy in Utah. Borglum's arrangement of figures is complex and requires viewing from different angles to be fully understood. Some writers of his day used the adjective "fabulous" to describe a bronze like this one, referring to its high level of action. Unfortunately, Borglum died suddenly at the height of his fame, making it difficult to obtain good examples of his work. It is estimated that six copies of this bronze were made, but only four - including this one - have been found. The Rough Riders was the name given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish-American War and the only one to see action. The United States Army was small and understaffed compared to its size during the American Civil War, about thirty years earlier. President William McKinley called upon 1,250 volunteers to help with the war efforts as a measure to rectify this situation. The regiment was also known as "Wood's Weary Walkers" in honor of its first commander, Colonel Leonard Wood. This nickname acknowledged that despite being a cavalry unit, they ended up fighting on foot like infantry. Wood's second-in-command was former assistant secretary of the United States Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, who had pushed for American involvement in Cuban independence. When Colonel Wood became commander of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, the Rough Riders then became "Roosevelt's Rough Riders." That term was familiar in 1898 from Buffalo Bill's famous western show "Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World." The Rough Riders were primarily made up of college athletes, cowboys, ranchers, miners, and other outdoorsmen. Dallas collector Trevor Rees-Jones first became interested in art and the American West when visiting the Amon Carter Museum of American Art as a young boy. Years later, that experience led Rees-Jones to gather one of the finest private collections of art from the American West, spanning the eighteenth century through the 1920s, including paintings, watercolors, sculpture, and photographs. The selection of the Rees-Jones Collection on view marks its debut showing in a museum. This object is part of "Scan The World," a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, which aims to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the globe for public access. Scan the World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items nearby and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help. Scanned using photogrammetry (processed with Agisoft PhotoScan).