During the first half of the 19th century, the United States government sent out expeditions to explore the western portion of the country. Government officials wanted to understand what the nation had acquired in the Louisiana Purchase.
These expeditions included surveyors, scientists, and military troops. They also included artists. In the days before photography, the only way to see what the expeditions found was through the work of painters who had seen it for themselves.
Painting at the time was difficult enough in a studio. It was nearly impossible while trekking through unexplored territory, carrying all the necessary equipment and materials.
Albert Bierstadt made his first trip out West in 1859 with Frederick W. Lander’s expedition across the Plains to the Rocky Mountains. His paintings stunned Eastern viewers with the beauty of the mountains, unlike any landscape they had ever seen.
Among Bierstadt’s challenges was the fact that he had to mix his own paints. Once mixed, artists saved the paint in a pig’s bladder, tied shut with string. Unfortunately, those bladders didn’t travel well and sometimes burst.
On this date in 1841, John G. Rand changed all that. An American artist living in London, Rand was frustrated by having to mix and preserve his own paint. He invented a tube made from tin, sealed with a screw cap. The paint was pre-mixed and stored in the tubes. It had a long shelf life, the tubes didn’t leak, and the cap meant they could be opened and sealed again and again.
The tubes were slow to catch on but painters came to appreciate the convenience. The tubes were lightweight and easy to transport.
Frederick Remington’s drawing of a Wyoming cowboy, published by Harper’s Weekly Magazine in 1882, launched his career. He became the most famous painter of the West.
Thomas Moran joined an expedition to Yellowstone in 1871. His watercolors were instrumental in influencing the establishment of Yellowstone as America’s first national park.
Images of the West captivated Americans. The Eastern public was anxious to see for themselves what wonders lay out West.
Artists including James Audubon, George Catlin, and John Singer Sargent introduced Americans to the wonders of Dakota Territory. Their work encouraged people to move and settle the American West.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Smithsonian Magazine. “Never Underestimate the Power of a Paint Tube.” https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/never-underestimate-the-power-of-a-paint-tube-36637764/Accessed 8/3/2025.
- Christie’s. “Collecting guide: the artists who gave us our vision of the American West.” https://www.christies.com/en/stories/art-of-the-american-west-collecting-guide-b60f827171fb4d3f9914cc3e797138f3Accessed 8/3/2025.
- North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum. “There’s a Story in There.” https://statemuseum.nd.gov/exhibits/theres-a-story-thereAccessed 8/3/2025.
