Artwork > All Sculptures, Animals & Wildlife, Cowboys & Cowgirls > Pushin’ Through a Drought
Pushin’ Through a Drought
Specifications:
23″H x 36 1/2″W x 9″D
Edition of 30
Price:
$12,000
Scott’s Piece Description
Ever planned a three-month road trip based on where you thought to find water to drink? Welcome to the reality of an 1870’s cattle drive from Texas to Montana.
Cowmen (not cowboys as they later came to be called) often found themselves days between water holes. Rivers, creek beds and springs, that were known to be full of water the previous year, could come up ‘unexpectedly’ dry. Put several days of “no water” together and men and animals get a bit edgy.
Get out and walk – pull a stretch of 30-50 miles with no water. I promise you, you’ll be able to smell a ‘drop’ if it comes across on a breeze. That very circumstance was a hazard to cowmen, who knew a stampede was immanent if a dry herd smelled water in the wind.
What made matters worse was if the breeze (carrying the smell of water) changed directions before it got to the herd. Now the possibility arose they would stamped in the wrong direction – further away from water.
Bit of trivia: Ever notice how you never see ole time cowmen with canteens? They drank when the cows drank.
Image Gallery
Curator Review
The great cattle drives of the 1870s are often romanticized, but Pushin’ Through a Drought reminds us of their harsh realities. Scott Rogers captures a moment of sheer perseverance—a parched herd and a vigilant cowman pressing forward under a relentless sun. The rider’s gesture, shielding his eyes with his hat as he searches the horizon, says it all: hope mixed with desperation.
There’s remarkable restraint in Rogers’ composition. The elongated, horizontal design—anchored by three thirsty longhorns and a weary horse—evokes the dragging pace of a journey slowed by thirst. The high-relief texturing of the rocky base mirrors the parched and fractured ground of the American frontier. Look closely and you’ll notice the droop in every creature’s posture—an unspoken language of exhaustion.
Rogers’ handling of form here leans almost Impressionistic, prioritizing movement, texture, and feeling over anatomical precision. This sculptural looseness captures the shimmering mirage-like quality of heat and dust. It’s a daring choice, and it pays off.
There’s also a subtle nod to historical realism. The absence of canteens, as Rogers points out, is no accident—these cowmen lived and died by the rhythms of the herd. This isn’t just Western art. It’s a distilled moment of endurance, painted in bronze.
Get In Touch
We’ll confirm if this sculpture is available now or reserve your place in the next casting (4–5 months).
Phone: 1.435.469.1646
Email: hello@scottrogerssculpture.com
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