(WEST) Arthur F Tait Portrait of Buffalo Bill Cody

Sale 2675 - Lot 296

Price Realized: $ 4,750

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 3,000 - $ 4,000

(WEST.) Arthur F. Tait. Portrait of Buffalo Bill Cody. Charcoal and white pastel on paper, 22½ x 19 inches, signed "A.F. Tait 87" in charcoal, 1-inch closed tear in upper margin. No place, 1881

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Additional Details

The artist Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819-1905) was born in England and was inspired by the work of George Catlin to emigrate to New York in 1850. He became well known as a popular painter, mostly of animal subjects; his work was widely reproduced by Currier & Ives. We have not seen many of Tait's charcoal sketches or portraits, but the signature here is a close match for other examples.

This image is untitled. The source image for this portrait appears to have been a circa 1875 photograph of Buffalo Bill Cody by Eugene Pirou, in a very similar pose, although Tait has taken some liberties with Cody's shirt and tie.

With--original framer's label of W.K. O'Brien & Bro. of 83 Third Ave., New York, "over thirty-four years on this corner." The business was established in 1850, so the label likely dates to circa 1884.