Portrait of an English Setter, signed and inscribed lower right: Frederic Remington / To my friend, Louis Brown, oil on canvas laid to masonite mounted on wooden stretchers, 20.75'' H x 28'' W, est: $25,000/35,000
Note: The present work is one of two paintings gifted to Louis Brown and Lulu Brown by Frederic Remington, a good friend of Louis Brown. The first, a large-scale portrait of an Indian, was gifted in November 1890 as a wedding present to the Browns. The work was deemed too large for the couple to hang in their home, however, and was returned to Remington and later replaced with one of the artist?s iconic ''Bronco Buster'' bronzes. The bronze was passed down through the family and subsequently donated to the Huntington Library Collection in San Marino, CA. The present work is the second painting gifted to the Browns, after Remington offered to paint a portrait of Louis Brown?s prized dog. Getting the dog to Remington?s studio in New Rochelle, New York proved difficult due to rules about transporting animals via public transportation, however, arrangements were finally made and Brown?s dog was able to stand for a portrait by the venerable Western painter. The portrait was subsequently passed down to the couple?s daughter, Margaret Eaton Brown Fleming, who then gave the work to her son, Louis Brown Fleming and his wife, Jean Tarr Fleming.
Remington presents the setter standing in an alert stance that hints at the breed's hunting origins. The dog's mostly pearly white coat glows against a mottled and painterly grey background and its reflection can be seen on the highly polished table or floor surface on which the Setter stands. Feathering, typical of the breed, is visible on the dog's chest, belly and the back of the front legs, and the Setter's white coat is charmingly accented by patches of deep red on its face, haunches and at the top of the tail. Such a personal portrait of a friend's beloved pet is rare for the artist, particularly when it was painted at the height of Remington's career after he was fully established in society. Provenance: Louis Brown and Lulu Brown, New York, NY, gifted from the artist; Margaret Eaton Brown Fleming, Pittsburgh, PA, daughter of the above; Louis Brown Fleming and wife Jean Tarr Fleming, Los Angeles, CA, son of the above; Estate of Margaret Eaton Brown Fleming, Pasadena, CA; by descent to Private Collection, Pasadena, CA

Condition: Visual: Stable stretcher bar creases along the left and right sides. Canvas mounted to masonite, as stated. Tacking edges removed when mounted. The extreme lower right canvas corner missing. Minor scattered wear to edges. Blacklight: An approximately 4'' x 2.5'' area of scattered touch-up to address a V-shaped repaired tear in the lower center beneath the dog. A spot of touch-up in the left center. A few other spots of touch-up throughout.