"Back to the Fort" U.S. Marshals lithograph

Numbered, limited edition, offset lithographs printed on acid free paper, by John Bell, Jr. (1937-2013)

Image size 17.25 x 26”

US Marshals

The person on horseback depicted in the center of this piece is U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves.

One of the first of the deputies hired by Judge Parker's court was a former slave from Texas named Bass Reeves. It is believed that Reeves fought in the Indian Territory during the Civil War with the Union Indian brigades. Reeves was known as an expert with a pistol and rifle, stood about six foot, two inches, weighed 180 pounds, and was said to have superhuman strength. Reeves had a reputation throughout the territory for his ability to catch outlaws that other deputies couldn't. Reeves escaped numerous assassinations on his life and was the most feared deputy U.S. marshal to work the Indian Territory.

“As a child I was shown how to draw stick figures to keep me entertained while my mother went about her chores. This sparked a fascination with the arts that has lasted throughout my lifetime and taken me through several professional careers: illustrator, product designer and fabric designer to name a few.

Although I have visited our country from coast to coast, I was born and raised in Arkansas. I have a keen appreciation for the beauty of our state and the character of her people; and as a result, most of my paintings consist of AR scenery and turn of the century AR cityscapes. Old postcards, early photographs and on-site photography are part of the research into each composition. All of these elements are combined to capture a moment in time that you can almost remember, even though you may have never been there.”

The Department of Arkansas Heritage, quote by John Bell, Jr.