Timeline

Studio portrait of Augustus Thomas, inscribed to Remington.

Remington spends the day at Roman Bronze Works retouching the wax models for The Cowboy and The Rattlesnake. Later that day he writes Leslie Miller, Secretary of the Fairmount Park Art Association: “I today finished the lost wax—retouching on the minor accoutrements [of The Cowboy], and the big thing is steaming away in the melting furnaces.

Remington copyrights his only monumental outdoor sculpture, The Cowboy, to be unveiled on June 20 in Fairmont Park in Philadelphia.

Remington’s monumental statue of The Cowboy is formally unveiled in Fairmont Park in Philadelphia.

Remington writes Leslie Miller, Secretary of the Fairmount Park Art Association: “That model I knew would never look right until in place. Some more solemn & reposeful thing might defend itself in a foundry but that cow-boy had to be on the bluff he was intended for. The ceremonies of unveiling were unique and creditable to your people who conceived the enterprise. I hope now someone will let me do an Indian and a Plains cavalryman and then I will be ready for glory.

A.G. Hetherington, a member of the Fairmount Park Art Association who commissioned the bronze statue of The Cowboy, writes Remington: “It was a great pleasure for me to have charge of the details and was most fortunate in getting the Cowboys and Indians. No statue was seen unveiled with more appropriate ceremonies. I wish you could have seen the picture—it was much like one of your own. He Dog the Chief who pulled the rope has been ever since the proudest Indian possible. When I saw your modest letter on Mr. Miller’s desk saying you “would not be here but it made no difference as no one paid much attention to the sculptor” I resolved that all the praise should be given you in our newspapers and set to work. I send you today the clippings… It is to tell the million and one half inhabitants of Philadelphia—"Remington’s Mounted Cowboy” and thousands have gone to see it and all are moved. I consider it one of the great statues of the world.”

Remington travels by rail to Chicago and on to Wyoming.

Remington arrives back in New York.

Remington exhibits nineteen works at the Knoedler Galleries, including five pure landscape studies—the first he has ever exhibited; two of the paintings are The Grass Fire (ACM) and The Long Horn Cattle Sign (ACM).

Remington notes in his diary: “My show at Knoedler’s closes tonight. It was a triumph. I have landed among the painters and well up too.”

Remington notes in his diary: “Ridgefield—early start, fine day… Fine view of my house leaving Ridgefield. It is stunning—better than I hoped, ready for shingles. Working on chimneys. We are tickled to death—with view—my studio window is magnificent.”

Studio portrait of Remington with a bowler hat, blowing cigar smoke; photo by Davis and Sanford, New York City

Remington standing in front of the fireplace in his studio in New Rochelle, New York.

Remington’s monumental statue, The Cowboy, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, shortly after its completion.

Remington exhibits sixteen paintings at the Doll & Richards Gallery, Boston; one of the paintings is The Long Horn Cattle Sign (ACM).

Remington writes to his boyhood friend John Howard in Ogdensburg: “You don’t know any fellow up there who wants to make an offer for my island do you. I thought there might be a great popular excitement to buy it… My show made a great hit this winter and I did pretty well. I am no longer an illustrator.

Remington notes in his diary that he “burned up a lot of old canvases.”

Remington writes his boyhood friend John Howard about moving to his new house in Ridgefield: “The great trek begins on the 17th. It is a piece of business trucking all my plunder—19 years of damage settled on top of itself and when you break it out hundreds of things come up which we had grown not to notice.

Remington notes in his diary: “Clouds—sunny, I started in on my studio. It was a mass of stuff. I tore out the middle—gradually got stuff in garrett and placed my big furniture. Murphy volunteered to help me in the afternoon and by night I had my walls hung.”

Remington refers to his western paintings in his diary as the “Grand Frontier,” as opposed to the “small intimate Eastern” work, which are his landscape studies.

Remington notes in his diary: “Beautiful morning—Tel. from Childe Hassam who with his wife are at Inn… Kid [Mrs. Remington] and I over to J. Alden Weirs. His place looked fine. Saw his pictures—also his daughter’s book building. They went up to dinner Sunday. The [Kenyon] Coxs want us for dinner. The Childe Hassams over in afternoon. [Riccardo] Bertelli came at 5:16 and over to dinner—jolly evening.”

Remington notes in his diary: “Worked on B.B. [The Bronco Buster, large version] and have finished same… The art critics have all ‘come down’—I have belated but splendid notes from all the papers. The[y] ungrudgingly give me a high place as a ‘mere painter.’ I have been on their trail a long while and they never surrendered while they had a leg to stand on. The ‘illustrator’ phase has become back ground. But my sales are disappointing why I don’t know.”

Remington tries to go into New York but the pain in his stomach forces him back to Ridgefield on the noon train, and he immediately goes to bed. He passes a very uncomfortable night.

Remington spends a comfortable day in bed, but is restless.