Icons of the West: How Cowboys Inspired Art, Song, and Story

Howdy y’all, I’m Chip Schweiger, the Cowboy Accountant, coming to you again from my horse barn to welcome you to another edition of Way Out West with The Cowboy Accountant. 

The podcast that takes you on a journey through the stories of the American West, brings you the very best cowboy wisdom, and celebrates the cowboys and cowgirls who are feeding a nation. 

There’s something magical about the cowboy.

A lone figure riding under endless skies.

The sun setting in hues of gold and red.

It’s a life full of grit, but also beauty—a beauty that inspired artists to pick up their brushes, writers to put pen to paper, and musicians to hum a tune.

Cowboy isn’t just a symbol of strength.

It’s also a story of freedom, resilience, and romance—romance with the land, the sky, and the untamed spirit of the West.

So today on the show, we’ll explore how this rugged life inspired some of the most iconic art, music, and stories.

So, grab your saddle and join me, as we ride Way Out West into the heart of cowboy culture and its place in art.

After the episode check out the show notes at podcast.CowboyAccountant.com. 

[MUSIC]

Hi there, and welcome back. And Happy New Year. 

We’re on Season 3, and before we get into it, I just wanted to thank you for the overwhelming tremendous support of this podcast. 

We’ve consistently through Season 2 been in the top third of all, something like 3 million active podcasts out there worldwide. And that’s because of you.

I could never have imagined that there’d be this much support, so we’re going to keep going and give you more of what you want in 2025.

In the new year and this new season, I’ve got a lot of fun planned. But, I also want to hear from you. So feel free to drop me a line at the podcast’s website or at howdy@cowboyaccountant.com

OK, back to the episode. Today, we’re talking about something that’s shaped how we see the cowboy and the West—not just here in America, but around the world. 

We’re diving into the intersection of cowboys and art—how the grit and glory of the frontier inspired some of the most iconic works in art, music, and literature. 

From canvas to screen, the cowboy has been a muse for generations. So saddle up and let’s ride!

The cowboy wasn’t always a symbol of freedom, adventure, and rugged individualism. Early on, cowboys were just hardworking ranch hands. But something about their lives—the wide skies, the dangerous work, and that lone figure on horseback—captured the imagination of artists and storytellers.

Enter artists like Frederic Remington and Charlie Russell in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These two became the pioneers of Western art. 

Remington’s paintings and sculptures, for instance, captured the energy and motion of the frontier. His bronze work, *The Bronco Buster,* became a symbol of the American spirit.  And I count myself fortunate to have a reproduction in my barn.

Meanwhile, Charlie Russell—known as the “Cowboy Artist”—lived the life he painted. His works, like *The Last of the 5,000,* didn’t just glorify cowboys; they told stories of Native Americans, wild landscapes, and the fading frontier. 

Through their eyes, the cowboy was transformed from a simple laborer to a cultural icon, embodying values like courage, resilience, and freedom.

The cowboy didn’t stay on the canvas. He rode into books, poems, and songs. Writers like Zane Grey and Owen Wister used their words to turn the cowboy into a hero. Wister’s novel, *The Virginian,* published in 1902, is considered the first Western novel. Its famous line, “When you call me that, smile,” summed up the cowboy’s stoic demeanor.  

And then there’s music. Cowboy ballads, like *The Streets of Laredo* and *Home on the Range,* captured the loneliness, longing, and romance of life on the trail. Later, artists like Gene Autry, the “Singing Cowboy,” carried these traditions into popular culture, cementing the cowboy’s place in American hearts.

By the mid-20th century, Hollywood took the reins, bringing cowboy stories to a global audience. Think John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and later, Kevin Costner in films like Dances with Wolves.  

And let’s not forget the modern juggernaut of cowboy storytelling: *Yellowstone.* This series has brought the cowboy into the 21st century, showing not only the grit and romance but also the challenges of ranch life today. It’s a perfect example of how the cowboy myth continues to evolve.

Let’s take a quick break and when we come back, we’ll talk about the legacy of cowboy art and what I think it means for modern society.

Be right back. 

[BREAK]

Welcome back. 

So, what makes cowboy art so enduring? Maybe it’s the universal appeal of freedom. Maybe it’s the allure of a life lived close to nature. Or maybe it’s the values: hard work, resilience, and integrity.  

Cowboy art reminds us of what we admire most about the West. 

Even today, artists and writers are inspired by the stories of those who lived it. 

Ranchers and cowboys are keeping these traditions alive, not just in their work but in the way they live their lives. And I think that’s pretty damn cool.

The cowboy has inspired generations of artists, and in turn, those artists have shaped how we see the West. 

From the rugged brushstrokes of Frederic Remington to the sweeping landscapes of John Ford’s films, the cowboy remains an icon—a symbol of what it means to live boldly and freely.

If you’re interested in learning more about this, you can check out the Cowboy Artists of America. Incredible artists keeping this lifestyle alive through their art.

And, I’ve got a blog article about why I believe Charlie Russell is the Most Influential Western Artist of All Time. So you can check that out too. And I’ll put links to both of these in the show notes.

OK, even though it’s a new year, we still keep with some of the old things around here, and that means we’ve got one more thing. 

[BULL SOUND]

Yep, that distinctive call from Buster the Bull means it’s time for the cowboy glossary term of the week. 

And this week’s term is a WAR KNOT. So a war knot is a tail knot used to keep the horse's tail out of the way while working. Hardy and tied in just a few seconds, it basically keeps the tail in one place and up out of the way. My farrier uses one when he working on the back feet. I use one when we’re working. And it’s the same thing as when women tie a quick knot in their pony tail to get long hair out of the way. In fact, you may not realize it but you just got the origin of the term “pony tail.” So, New Years bonus!

[OUTRO MUSIC]

Thanks for riding with me today Way Out West. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and share it with your friends. And if you’ve got questions or ideas for future episodes, I’d love to hear them.

Until next time, keep your boots dusty and your spirit free. We’ll see ya down the road.