Equestrian Sculpture
Charles Rumsey had an innate knowledge of horses and their movement that was evident in the sculptures he was creating. His love of horses, riding, and the game of polo combined with his early education in the arts, inspire his many animal bronze, especially horse portraits.
Colt Scratching, 1916, Bronze, 6 ¾ x 8 x 2 ¾”. This sculpture depicts Rumsey’s attention to naturalism in his sculpture as well as his love of sculpting the animals in profile.
Good and Plenty - 13 ¾ x 21 ¾ x 4 ½”, Bronze, c. 1907. Good and Plenty was the name of the famed Steeplechase Horse that owned by Thomas Hitchcock Jr. He was one of the most famous polo players in the history of American polo.
Old Virginian, Bronze, c. 1917, 16 ½ x 21 ½ x 6 ½”
Polo Player: Harrison Tweed, c. 1910-12, Bronze, 19 x 20 ½ x 6 ½”. Harrison Tweed was a polo player and friend of Charles Rumsey, as well as a member of Meadowbrook Polo Club.
Horse Scratching, c.1917 Bronze, 8 ¼ x 10 ¾ x 4 ½”. This sculpture depicts Rumsey’s attention to naturalism in his sculpture as well as his love of depicting horses in their natural setting.
Horses Fighting, 1921, Bronze, 10 ½ x 11 ¾ x 6 ¾”. This equestrian sculpture depicts horses in their natural state, as opposed under saddle.
Polo Player on Pony: John R. Fell, Bronze, c. 1910-14, 16 x 17 x 3 ½”. John R. Fell was a well known polo player with the Meadowbrook Polo Club Long Island, New York.
Winning the Race, Bronze, Undated, 9 ½ x 11 ¼ x 3 ¼”. Unknown horse and rider
Bouger Red, Bronze, c. 1912, 17 x 19 x 4 ½. Bouger Red was one of Mary Harriman favorite horses for fox hunting.
Calf and Colt, 1907, Bronze, 8 x 18 x 4”, Was Charles Rumsey’s first animal sculpture. The subject is anecdotal: two young animals encounter each other for the first time with a mixture of curiosity and surprise, peering at each other closely even as they seem to draw back. This work shows his ability to depict naturalism.
Centaur, c.1914, bronze, 18 1/8 x 13 x 6”. In the early 1900s Rumsey shifted his focus to mythological subject matter. He worked on Atlas and Pan Piping around the same time.
Filly Rolling, 1910, Bronze, 3 ½ x 10 ¾ x 7”. Filly Rolling again depicts Rumsey’s understanding of the anatomy and form of a horse, as well as depicting the horse in a naturalistic manner.
Polo Player on Pony: Skiddy Von Stade, Bronze, Undated, 18 ½ x 17 x 6”. Skiddy Von Stade was one of Long Island most famous polo players, like Rumsey an 8 goal player with Meadowbrook Polo Club.
Portrait Figure on Horse: William G. Hayes on Trillion, 1916, Bronze, 17 ¼ x 14 ½ x 5”. William G. Hayes was a polo player with Meadowbrook Polo Club, Long Island NY.
End of the Trail, 1904, Bronze, 28 x 31, 8”. A small version of the life sized statue which stood in front of the Brooklyn Museum in New York for fifty years now sits in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. End of the Trail is one of the best known American Indian images to the last four generations in this country and around the world.
Figurative Sculpture
Not only is Rumsey’s naturalism evident in his works of animals, but in
his love of sculpting figures as well. His attention to movement,
perspective, and form are evident.
Dancing Female Nude, 1910, Bronze, 10 x 3 x 6”. Like the bronzes of animals, small statuettes of dancers were popular at exhibitions of sculpture in turn-of-the century France and later in America. It shows the movement of limbs and the body, lacking inhibitions, a free depiction of the female form.
Pipe Rack, c.1917, Bronze, 4 x 11 ½ x 2” Depicts jockeys, probably from Belmont Race Track.
Pan Piping, undated, Bronze, 10 ½ x 15 x 7”, Rumsey had a true interest in nature that tied him to his interested in mythology. Many believe he created this work around the same time he made many other mythological works including Atlas and Centaur, which still remain true to his connection to the horse.
Running Girl with Hat, undated, Bronze, 13 ½ x 9 ½ x 2 ½”
Kneeling Male, study for The Source, undated, 7 ½ x 6 ½ x 4 ¾”
Female Seated, undated, Bronze, 3 ½ x 4 x 2 ¾”
Three Graces, Arden Fountain, 1911, Bronze, 63 x 44 diameter. Originally designed for Arden House, Averell Harriman’s House, a cast is now in the collection of the Nassau County Museum, Long Island New York.
Wildlife and Animal Sculpture
The small bronze sculpture of a domestic or exotic animal was largely a
Parisian invention of the late 19th century. Sculptors had produced
small statues of animals during the Renaissance, but never in
quantities or with the special attention found in France in the late
19th Century. People during this time looked for exhibitions of
sculpture that rendered animals true to their form. The genre gave
sculptors the name “animalier”, or “animal sculptor”. Rumsey was also a
big game hunter during this time, and included many depictions of
African wildlife sculpture in his work.
Goat Head, undated, Bronze, 16 x 12 x 6”
Moose Head, undated, Bronze, 17 1/2 x 9 ½ x 12”
Walking Puma, 1912, Bronze, 6 ½ x 14 ½ x 4 ¼”
Rhinoceros’s Head, undated, Bronze, 8 ½ x 6 ¾ x 5 ½”,
Dog Scratching, 1912, Bronze, 6 ¼ x 7 ¾ x 6 ½”,
Fox Hound After the Hunt, undated, Bronze, 4 ¼ x 5 ¾ x 3 ½”
