# Frederick William McMonnies artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/frederick-william-mcmonnies/
Profile generated: 2026-05-24T18:38:30.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1863-09-28
- Death date: 1937-03-22
- Nationality: American
- Movements: Beaux-Arts
- Common media: bronze, painting, printmaking

## About Frederick William McMonnies

Frederick William McMonnies (1863–1937) was an American sculptor, painter, and printmaker who became the most celebrated expatriate American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts movement. Born in Brooklyn Heights, New York, he trained under Augustus Saint-Gaudens before moving to Paris, where he studied with Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguière and Marius Jean Antonin Mercié. McMonnies achieved significant recognition in both France and the United States during his career, producing monumental public sculptures, equestrian statues, war memorials, and mythological compositions. Beyond sculpture, he was an accomplished painter and portraitist. He was married to painter Mary Fairchild Low. His career spanned roughly 1878 to 1937, and his work is strongly associated with the American Beaux-Arts tradition that shaped public art in the Gilded Age.

## Common works and media

Collectors most often encounter McMonnies through bronze figurative sculpture — both monumental public commissions and smaller studio editions — including equestrian statues, war memorials, and mythological subjects. His portraits in bronze and on canvas also appear, along with a smaller body of prints. Works are typically signed and, for bronzes, may carry foundry marks that help confirm edition and date of casting.

## Market and appraisal context

McMonnies's work appears at auction primarily as bronze sculpture, including reduced editions of his monumental public commissions and independent figurative works. His paintings and prints surface less frequently but are documented in institutional collections. Valuation depends on medium, scale, provenance, foundry records for bronzes, and condition. Large-scale or publicly commissioned pieces occupy a different market tier than smaller studio works. Collectors should verify authenticity through signature, foundry marks, and documented provenance, as McMonnies's popularity has led to reproductions and casts of varying authority.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from museum, library, and authority sources with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Frederick William McMonnies, identity data is grounded in the Getty ULAN, VIAF, RKD, and Wikidata authority files.

## Sources

- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/88069
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q743154
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/27989817/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500031496
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William_MacMonnies
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88222091