"The Last Token"
By: Frederic Remington
Date: 1901 / 1912 New York City
Dimensions: 16 x 22 inches
This is an original lithograph print of Frederic Remington's painting "The Last Token". The print was published by Collier's Weekly out of New York City. The scene depicts soldiers and two Indians, handing a spur from a skeleton torso, with 4 arrows in the chest. The dead mans' horse lies in the background, also a skeleton. Another Indian, perhaps a Scout, is reaching out to the Cowboy, as if consoling him.
The verse below is helpful in describing this scene to the viewer. It reads: "My horse is down with thirst, boys, The Sun it rises higher; I wished they'd kill me first, boys, But they're building me a fire. My heart it is not broken, boys, But my lips are sealed with flame; Therefore I leave this token, boys, To tell you I died game."
Frederic Remington was an American painter, illustrator, and sculptor who specialized in the realistic portrayal of the Wild West. From cowboys and Native Americans, to U.S. Cavalry, officers of the law, emigrant settlers, Frederic Remington presented a window for the rest of the world into the beautiful, calamitous, unpredictable, and dangerous nature of Western America during the last quarter of the 19th century.
His style was naturalistic, sometimes impressionistic and he focused on the people and animals of the West, portraying men almost exclusively. He is known for being one of the first American artists to illustrate the true gait of the horse in motion and the galloping horse became Remington's signature subject, which was copied and interpreted by many subsequent Western artists.
Collier’s Magazine was a weekly periodical that can best be described as American, general interest featuring vibrant, original illustrated covers with articles and short stories by famous writers such as Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, John Steinbeck, and Kurt Vonnegut that often focused on historical and political events. The magazine was founded in 1888 by the Irish immigrant Peter Collier and ran until January 8, 1957.
Remington’s illustration appeared in many issues of Collier’s magazine but was also issued as separate prints in portfolios, intended for framing.
Condition: This print is in A condition with ample margins on all sides.
Inventory #92106
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