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End of the Trail

End of the Trail

Artist: James Earle Fraser (American, 1876 - 1953)

Foundry: Roman Bronze Works, NY (American, founded 1897)

Date: 1918
Medium: bronze
Dimensions:
Overall (to the end of the staff): 48 x 37 x 14 in. (121.9 x 94 x 35.6 cm)
Overall (without staff): 36 x 37 x 14 in. (91.4 x 94 x 35.6 cm)
Credit Line:Museum Purchase
Object number: 1930.447.1
When displayed at the 1915 Panama - Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, End of the Trail was instantly recognized as one of the defining images to come out of America's Western heritage.  In despair and submission, the rider has dropped his lance, bent his back and bowed his head.  His horse, too, reflects the no longer proud posture of his master's glorious tradition.  By 1893, when the composition was created, the Sioux had been forced into Dakota country and all but vanished as a nation.
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