# Frederic Remington artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/frederic-remington/
Profile generated: 2026-04-29T17:15:19.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1861-10-04
- Death date: 1909-12-26
- Nationality: American
- Movements: Western American Art
- Common media: oil painting, watercolor, bronze sculpture, etching, illustration (pen and ink), drawing

## About Frederic Remington

Frederic Sackrider Remington (1861–1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer whose work defined the visual language of the American West. Born in Canton, New York, he attended Yale University from 1878 to 1880 before traveling westward beginning in 1881. Over the following two decades, his journeys through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and the broader frontier region supplied the raw material for thousands of illustrations published in Harper's and other leading magazines, as well as acclaimed oil paintings and bronze sculptures. Remington's depictions of cowboys, Native Americans, and the U.S. Cavalry during the closing decades of the 19th century made him one of the most widely recognized American artists of his era. His bronzes, in particular, became iconic representations of Western frontier life and remain central to the field of Western American art.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers most frequently encounter Remington's work in the form of bronze sculptures — especially well-known models such as 'The Bronco Buster' and 'Coming Through the Rye' — as well as oil paintings of Western frontier scenes, watercolors, pen-and-ink illustrations, and etchings. Printed reproductions of his illustrations, posters, and posthumous bronze casts are also widespread. Common subjects include mounted cowboys, cavalry charges, Native American figures on horseback, and dramatic frontier landscapes.

## Market and appraisal context

Frederic Remington's auction market is exceptionally active and broad, with 1,615 catalogued lots and 1,276 priced results in the Appraisily database spanning 1992 to April 2026. The price distribution is heavily right-skewed: the median lot trades at $425 while the 75th percentile reaches $1,800, and the top recorded sale is $13,285,000 — reflecting the enormous gulf between posthumous reproductions and authenticated lifetime originals, especially major oil paintings and early cast bronzes. Liquidity is strong, with 189 lots in the most recent 12 months versus 158 in the prior period, a ~20% increase in auction activity. The market is served by a wide range of houses: Christie's and Sotheby's handle top-tier original paintings and lifetime bronze casts, while regional firms such as North American Auction Company, Clars Auctions, J Levine, and RoGallery trade reproductions, after-works, prints, and decorative bronzes at the lower end. Recent lots are dominated by 'after' bronzes ($70–$1,300), lithographs, and decorative pieces, underscoring that the bulk of circulating material is derivative rather than original.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Frederic Remington's auction market is exceptionally active and broad, with 1,615 catalogued lots and 1,276 priced results in the Appraisily database spanning 1992 to April 2026. The price distribution is heavily right-skewed: the median lot trades at $425 while the 75th percentile reaches $1,800, and the top recorded sale is $13,285,000 — reflecting the enormous gulf between posthumous reproductions and authenticated lifetime originals, especially major oil paintings and early cast bronzes. Liquidity is strong, with 189 lots in the most recent 12 months versus 158 in the prior period, a ~20% increase in auction activity. The market is served by a wide range of houses: Christie's and Sotheby's handle top-tier original paintings and lifetime bronze casts, while regional firms such as North American Auction Company, Clars Auctions, J Levine, and RoGallery trade reproductions, after-works, prints, and decorative bronzes at the lower end. Recent lots are dominated by 'after' bronzes ($70–$1,300), lithographs, and decorative pieces, underscoring that the bulk of circulating material is derivative rather than original.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily uses these auction records as a baseline for comparable-lot analysis. For a reliable appraisal, each submitted item must be evaluated for: (1) whether it is a lifetime original, an authorized posthumous cast, or an unauthorized reproduction — the price differential can exceed 1,000×; (2) medium and dimensions (oil on canvas, bronze with foundry marks, lithograph, watercolor); (3) signature presence and style; (4) foundry inscriptions and edition numbers on bronzes (e.g., Roman Bronze Works marks are critical); (5) provenance documentation; (6) condition of patina, paint surface, or paper. The $425 median is not a reliable benchmark for valuation without first establishing authenticity tier. A professional appraisal compares the item against filtered comparables matching the same tier, medium, and condition grade.

### Valuation factors

- Authenticity tier: lifetime original vs. authorized posthumous cast vs. unauthorized reproduction — the single largest value driver, with price differences exceeding 1,000×
- Foundry marks and edition numbers on bronzes: Roman Bronze Works casts with documented edition numbers command the highest premiums among sculptural works
- Medium: original oil paintings and lifetime bronze casts dominate the high end; prints, after-works, and decorative items trade at the low end
- Provenance documentation: documented exhibition history or ownership chain significantly increases value and defensibility
- Condition: original patina on bronzes and undisturbed paint surfaces on oils are critical; restoration or refinishing can reduce value substantially
- Subject matter and model: iconic models such as 'The Bronco Buster' and 'Coming Through the Rye' have stronger demand than lesser-known compositions
- Size and scale: monumental bronzes and large-scale oils are rarer and command higher prices than tabletop casts or small-format works

### Collector notes

- The vast majority of Remington lots at auction are posthumous or after-works selling under $500. If you own or are considering a piece priced in this range, it is almost certainly not a lifetime original.
- Lifetime original bronzes with Roman Bronze Works foundry marks and documented cast numbers are the most sought-after segment. Insist on written provenance before purchasing at the high end.
- Lithographs titled 'A Cheyenne Buck' and 'Arizona Cowboy' appear repeatedly at auction through The Rug Life Auctions — these are widely available prints, not rare works.
- Auction activity increased ~20% year-over-year (189 lots vs. 158), indicating sustained collector interest and healthy secondary-market liquidity.
- Major paintings and rare lifetime casts transact primarily through Christie's and Sotheby's. If your item is potentially a top-tier work, these houses can provide the specialist authentication needed.

### Market caveats

- The $13,285,000 maximum price represents an extreme outlier (a major original oil or rare lifetime bronze). The median is $425 and the 75th percentile is $1,800. Most lots reflect reproductions, after-works, and prints, not original works.
- Remington is among the most widely reproduced and counterfeited Western American artists. The 1,615 catalogued lots include originals, authorized reproductions, posthumous casts, prints, and derivative works — not all represent lifetime creations.
- Many recent lots are described as 'after Frederic Remington' or bear no foundry documentation. These are decorative reproductions with limited investment value and should not be compared to authenticated originals.
- Lot titles in auction records may not reliably distinguish lifetime casts from posthumous editions. Professional appraisal with foundry-mark verification is essential for any bronze attributed to Remington.
- The auction record dataset begins in 1992; earlier private sales and pre-1992 auction results are not captured, so the full price history for top-tier works is incomplete in this dataset.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/frederic-remington/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable / Kraft Auction Service: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-buffalo-horse-bronze-sculpture-after-frederic-remington-2160-c-29c7408a41
- Invaluable / Kraft Auction Service: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-frederic-remington-rattlesnake-bronze-sculpture-2157-c-1599a98672
- Invaluable / Monarch Auction and Estate Services: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-the-bronco-buster-bronze-by-frederic-remington-220-c-8384a4b82e
- Invaluable / Lion and Unicorn: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-frederic-remington-aft-bronze-on-marble-base-buffalo-horse-signed-356-c-55740f0a5d
- Invaluable / Marion Antique Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-24-roundel-plaques-after-frederic-remington-367-c-5b6d8d0897
- Invaluable / Nadeau's Auction Gallery: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-frederic-remington-american-1861-1909-trooper-of-the-plains-bronze-on-marble-base-signed-frederic-remington-height-20-inches-along-with-pair-of-french-louis-xv-style-bronze-candelabra-each-having-four-ornate-scro-115-c-4e7b99b8e5
- Invaluable / Auctions at Showplace: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-frederic-remington-drawings-1897-112-c-86229bbfc5
- Invaluable / The Rug Life Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-frederic-remington-1861-1909-lithograph-titled-a-cheyenne-buck-17in-x-20in-43cm-x-51cm-332-c-5480d3bebd
- Invaluable / The Rug Life Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-frederic-remington-1861-1909-lithograph-titled-arizona-cowboy-17in-x-20in-43cm-x-51cm-207-c-a0f2097bc8
- Invaluable / Monarch Auction and Estate Services: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-bronze-buffalo-signal-by-frederic-remington-222-c-037e7ce105
- Invaluable / MiddleManBrokers: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-trooper-of-the-plains-after-frederic-remington-113-c-278e71b944

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines identity research from library authority files and biographical databases with auction-house records, sale dates, realized prices, comparable lots, and provenance documentation when available. Artist facts are sourced from the Library of Congress Name Authority File, VIAF, RKD, and Wikidata. Market observations reference public auction records in the Appraisily database. All claims include source citations; where evidence is thin, caveats are noted.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560787
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Remington
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/9891506/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79018407
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/66234