King of the Western Pulp Cover Painters
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The Three Riders, Denver Public Library

The Art of Arthur Roy Mitchell

A.R. Mitchell was a prolific artist, starting in his youth with sketches of working cowboys and western life then transitioning into the commercial art world through political and satirical cartoons for local papers. His most notable art was of his beloved West and all the characters and landscapes it encompassed. His pulp covers from the 1920s through the 1940s were always action packed, vividly colored and contained all the true to life details that would earn him the respect of his peers, the admiration of countless readers and the title King of The Western Pulp Cover Painters.

Mitchell painted cowboys, real working cowboys, as well as two-gun pistol packing men who captured rustlers, robbed banks and fought fist to fist in the dust of the West.

Mitchell also painted cowgirls, sometimes soft and gentle riding with their sweethearts and sometimes atop bucking horses just like their male counter parts. Mitchell collected many items throughout his lifetime, such as pistols, saddles hats and even camp fire coffee pots that he would use as visual references for paintings during his long career. Nothing escaped his eye for detail, even the knots that were tied on saddles or the type of Indian blanket used beneath a saddle all carefully rendered for the utmost accuracy.

Before a canvas was prepared for paint, Mitchell would sketch each part of the painting ensuring his final composition would be almost photographically accurate in scale and detail, leaving nothing to chance. Color was as important as content and Mitchell never steered clear of vivid colors, used whenever needed to make the painting almost hum with action or float as light as the slightest desert breeze.
Mitchell's rendition of Billy the Kid for Street and Smith's Wild West Weekly was an almost glamorous view of the infamous snaggle toothed, skinny, painfully young outlaw. Mitchell instead painted the notorious bandit with a strong mature jaw, wide shoulders and a muscular physique, the readers of the day must have loved it.
Historical Subject Matter
Mitchell painted and loved the cowboy as his subject, but he also painted historical figures as well. Mitchell's undying love of Western history is evident in many of his "easel" paintings, paintings that were done purely for pleasure. Mitchell gave unknown trappers, settlers, gold miners and wagon train scouts as much detail and importance in paintings as frontier legend Kit Carson. His paintings of pioneers, settlers and wagons traveling on the Santa Fe Trail as well as Native American Indians showcased his absolute love of all Western history. His details were researched and he painted from actual items as often as possible. His collection of pack saddle trees and riding gear was unmatched and he would make sure that every gun or hat used in his painting was true to the era he was representing. His paintings became more and more detailed throughout his career and looking carefully you can even see the details in the distance are as well planned as executed as the main subject.
Mitchell was a avid follower of legendary figures like Kit Carson and other famous local legends such as Charlie Goodnight, Oliver Loving, Doc Holiday, Bat Masterson and even Black Jack Ketchum. Trinidad was home to a wide cast of characters but he probably painted one of them more than any other, Fishers Peak. The flat topped mountain that loomed over Trinidad was a beacon for all the travelers on the Santa Fe Trail and Mitchell grew up and lived in its shadow. Many of his paintings include the famous vista either prominently or in the distance.
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The Valiant Charge of Roman Nose by A.R. Mitchell
Mitchell painted a famous battle scene that took place in 1865 where the Cheyenne and Sioux found the U.S. military marching up the Powder River valley. The great Cheyenne warrior, Roman Nose asked that no warriors make a charge until he arrived. When he finally came to the battle, mounted on his best horse with his sacred war bonnet trailing behind him almost to the ground, he proceeded to ride the full length of the line of troops, within easy shot of their carbine rifles. He performed this 3 or 4 times, getting closer and closer each time, until his horse was shot from under him and he landed on the ground running and gave the signal for a charge. Mitchell's painting of the famous battle was carefully sketched many times before he actually painted all the action of multiple horses and riders.

Mitchell's Landscapes

Mitchell painted many landscapes throughout his life often painting plein air style while traveling in his automobile throughout the West and the Southwest from the 1920's through 1950s. Many of the landscapes include the Southern Colorado area where he lived.

A permanent exhibit of Mitchell's landscape paintings is on exhibit in the rear of the mezzanine level. Read more about this exhibit by clicking the Shadowed Mesa link.