Cavalry Charge

by
Frederic Remington
1910
FRAMED DIMENSIONS: 33-5/8"w x 18-1/2”h

This bold image was one of Remington's final masterpieces. The wide expanse of his painting is filled with individual stories of life and death, triumph and tragedy.

Remington's father is a highly decorated cavalry major during the Civil War; as a result the artist had great empathy for soldiers and Indians who were wounded or killed in battle. He also agonized over the cruel effects war had on the horses carrying the warriors. He witnessed these helpless creatures wandering aimlessly with serious wounds and watched with wonderment as those bold animals often continued their charge long after their masters had fallen in battle.

When Remington was on assignment with Company K, 10th Cavalry, he sketched a celebrated work, entitled "Riderless Horse," which depicted this tragic scene. Much later when he was commissioned by Knickerbocker Hotel in New York to paint "Cavalry Charge," he used the riderless horse as the center figure, completing this gigantic painting by adding Indians and Cavalrymen engaged in ferocious battle.

This remarkable piece soon became known as one of the most powerful and inspirational of the artist's works. Remington is famous for his depictions of Western battle, and this image ranks among the finest he's ever produced.

This painting was acquired by a private collector and eventually donated to the University of Texas where it is displayed today with great pride. The print produced from the original oil painting did not appear in Collier's until a year after Remington died.

Since that time when even one of these images comes on the market, private collectors bid feverishly to own it. We are indeed pleased that this rare print is part of this historic collection.