“Running Elk – August 24, 1804” by Richard Vernon Greeves captures the raw elegance and momentum of an elk mid-stride—a fleeting moment forged in bronze. The sculpture evokes both the physical beauty and symbolic power of the animal as it races across the frontier landscape. The date references the Corps of Discovery’s journaled sighting of elk during their early passage up the Missouri River.

Greeves’s mastery lies in his ability to translate motion into material. The elk’s hooves barely touch the earth, its body drawn taut with energy, muscle, and instinct. It’s a portrait of movement frozen—yet never still. The work honors not just the animal, but the spirit of the land and its original inhabitants who depended on and revered it.

This piece resonates with collectors drawn to wildlife art, Western history, and the deeper symbolism of freedom, survival, and harmony with nature. It’s both a tribute and a reminder—of what roamed before roads, fences, and progress.