Soldier with Outstretched Hand by Frederick Remington (1861-1909), ink drawing on buff paper, 9″ x 12 1/2″, signed lower right.
In his prolific career as a sculptor, Frederick Remington produced just two bronze busts: The Sergeant (1904) and The Savage (1908). Materializing just four years apart, authorities on Remington believe both pieces to be caricature amalgamations as opposed to direct likenesses, with The Met suggesting they both “represent early-twentieth-century stereotypes rather than specific individuals.” We assumed the same, thinking we had a fine example of Remington’s affinity for general Western heroes.
It was not until, in the curating of our exhibit, we placed The Sergeant and Soldier with Outstretched Hand next to each other. The sharp nose and protruding mustache echo one another, the specific ravines of the bridge and chin appear nearly identical, and even the shading around the eyes and cheekbones are familiar.
There is no way to prove that the two are explicitly derivative of each other, seeing as a date does not accompany Remington’s sketch, but we feel comfortable bringing light to the two pieces’ spectacular visual coincidences.
Medium: Ink drawing on buff paper
Perhaps one of the most prominent American artists of the Western genre, Frederic Remington (1861-1909) was a painter and sculptor with a flair for dramatic battles and equestrian scenes.
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