Henry Merwin Shrady (1871-1922)

'Monarch of the Plains', A Bronze Figure of an Elk Buffalo

Details

Henry Merwin Shrady (1871-1922)
'Monarch of the Plains', A Bronze Figure of an Elk Buffalo
inscribed 'H.M. SHRADY 1900' and 'COPYRIGHT 1900 THEODORE B. STARR'
22¾in. (58cm.) high, rich blackish brown patina

Provenance

The Estate of C.C. Moseley, Los Angeles, California

Literature

Comparative Literature
L. Taft, The History of American Sculpture, New York, 1924, 1969 reprint, pp. 483-484
P.J. Broder, Bronzes of the American West, New York, 1974, pp. 241-243, pl. 260

Lot Essay

When the sculptor Karl Bitter saw the models for Monarch of the Plains and for a bull moose, both early works by Henry M. Shrady, waiting to be cast at the Gorham foundry, he was most impressed and he asked the young sculptor to enlarge these models for the Pam-American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901. The two animals were enlarged to eight and nine feet respectively and duplicated in staff material along with several other animals designed by Shrady which decorated the bridges spanning the fair.

The importance of the present example is due to its exceptional size and quality of the casting.