For all of our champagne bars and tapas joints, we’d do well to remember that Denver is a city of the American West. That’s why it’s gratifying to see the Denver Art Museum and billionaire-benefactor pool resources to purchase Thomas Eakins’ painting, “Singing Cowboy,” from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

While neither Eakins nor the anonymous cowboy are from Colorado – Eakins is from Pennsylvania and the painting is based on the artist’s experiences as he made his way through the Dakota territory – Denver is nonetheless the spiritual home for all things Old Western. It’s only fitting that this important piece of American art history should make it’s home here.

The painting, as well as other works by Eakins, can be seen at the Denver Art Museum.