The Wild West: 1804-1890

Interact with the story of America’s frontier through the detailed paintings of America’s foremost historical artist, Mort Künstler

Künstler’s paintings bring history to life with striking portrayals of the events of America’s Wild West, starting in 1804, when Lewis and Clark made their first expeditions, to 1890, when the American frontier was declared “vanished.” The epic artworks faithfully capture the incredible landscapes, explorations, and battles of this important period, and ask children to look again and again for special details, such as the feathers in an American Indian chief’s headdress to the type of horse a cattleman rides. Together with text by award-winning historian James I. Robertson, Jr., these brilliantly explicit paintings engage a young reader’s attention and introduce him or her to American history through the visual arts.

Lauded by both historians and curators, Künstler presents beautifully rendered works chronicling America’s expansion to the West in a historically accurate and appealing way—transporting the reader right into each scene.