Trooper of the Plains

Accession number:
2002.03

Maker:
Frederic Remington
(1861-1909)

Historical period:
ca. 1908

Type:
Bronze, reproduction, Sculpture

Dimensions:
H x W x D: 20.5 in. / 24 in. / 6 in.

Acquisition date:
2002

Credit line:
Gift of William J. Lang

Location:
Parade, Second Floor

Provenance:

From 2002: The Army and Navy Club, gift of Major William J. Lang

Label:

This sculpture depicts a cavalry soldier on horseback brandishing a revolver. The galloping horse is supported by only a clump of sagebrush. Remington enjoyed experimenting with daring, gravity-defying poses that indicated his technical mastery of the sculptural process.

Frederic Remington cast twenty-two different subjects of his renowned and highly coveted bronzes depicting romanticized images of the American West. His sculptures are “full round,” meaning they are as realistically sculpted in the back as in front.

Remington bronzes are among the most widely reproduced of all metal sculptures. Some unauthorized copies of his work have been traced as far back as 1920. However, when the copyright protection of his work expired in the 1960s, the number of reproductions in the market increased exponentially.