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The Bronco Buster

Brown bronze statue of man with riding crop atop a rearing horse.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • Brown bronze statue of man with riding crop atop a rearing horse.

Date:

Modeled 1895, cast 1899

Artist:

Frederic Remington (American, 1861–1909)
Cast by Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co. (American, 19th century)

About this artwork

Although born, raised, and educated on the East Coast, Frederic Remington achieved considerable success as America’s leading illustrator of life on the western frontier. In 1894 he turned his skill and energy to sculpture. This vigorous portrayal of a cowboy taming a wild horse was the artist’s first effort in bronze, and with an illustrator’s eye for drama, he captured the single most illuminating moment of the event. Although the horse and rider struggle against each other, they are pulled together at the instant of utmost exertion. As the bronco rears up, back arched and splayed tail snapping, the cowboy leans forward, his whip suspended in midair as he clutches the reins and horse’s mane. This minutely rendered, spirited, and technically remarkable depiction of life in the West became one of the most popular American bronzes of the early twentieth century. The Art Institute’s version is one of nearly seventy made at the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company of New York using the French sand-casting method.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Frederic Remington (Sculptor)

Title

The Bronco Buster

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Modeled 1895

Medium

Bronze with brown patina

Inscriptions

Right side of base: "Copyright by / Frederic Remington 1895" Left top of base: "Frederic Remington" with "55" in F of signature Rear top of base: "The Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co.: Founders N.Y. 1899" Mark on botton center: "no. 55"

Dimensions

60 × 54.7 × 34.5 cm (23 5/8 × 21 9/16 × 13 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

George F. Harding Collection

Reference Number

1982.808

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/97916/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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