Lure of the West: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Lure of the West: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum commemorates Treasures to Go, a series of eight exhibitions from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, touring the nation through 2002. The Principal Financial Group is a proud partner in presenting these treasures to the American people.

In this book, choice paintings and sculptures illustrate changing attitudes toward the West—its landscape, peoples, and development—from the 1820s through the 1940s. Charles Bird King, George Catlin, and others documented Native American cultures, while Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran painted pristine wilderness. Later, members of the Taos Society of Artists presented the rich Hispanic cultures and rugged terrain of the Southwest.