Lot 89: Jules Émile Saintin (1829-1894)

Jules Émile Saintin (1829-1894)
Pony Express
signed and dated 'Saintin 1863' (lower left)
oil on canvas
30¼ x 59 in. (76.8 x 149.9 cm.)

The artist.
The Sibley Family, New York, by 1894.
By descent to the present owner.

Jules Émile Saintin, a French-born artist, spent a short time painting in New York City from 1853 to1866. Although there is no confirmed record of whether he traveled west, he is remembered today for his historical depictions of Native Americans and his skill as a landscape painter. In 1863, the artist sealed his fame by combining these skills in the present work, Pony Express. Appropriately, this work was purchased directly from the artist by the Sibley family, who was involved in the original organization and development of the Western Union Telegraph Company in the 1850s and 60s.