Frederic Remington (1861-1909)
Lot 66

Frederic Remington (1861-1909)

The Rattlesnake

Closed20 November 2019

Price Realised

USD 200,000

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Frederic Remington (1861-1909)
The Rattlesnake
inscribed 'Copyr***' indistinctly and 'Frederic Remington' (on the base)—inscribed 'ROMAN BRONZE WORKS N-Y-' (along the base)—inscribed 'No/94.' (under the base)
bronze with brown patina
22 ½ in. (57.2 cm.) high
Modeled circa 1908; cast after 1918.

Mrs. Frances K. Noyes, West Newton, Massachusetts.
Boynton Merrill, Jr., Henderson, Kentucky, gift from the above, 1964.
By descent to the present owners.

Specialist note


The Rattlesnake was first copyrighted in 1905 and then re-worked by the artist three years later in a larger version. Michael Greenbaum notes that "the rearing bronc and rider, posed masterfully in a spiraling sweep of motion, became one of Remington's most popular works. The artist's 'marvelous knowledge of anatomy, action and expression' were strikingly infused in the bronze's unfolding drama. Shortly after it was completed, Collier's further called it 'the work of a master's hand.'" (Icons of the West: Frederic Remington's Sculpture, Ogdensburg, New York, 1996, p. 123)