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Frederic Sackrider Remington was born on October 1, 1861, in Canton, New York. From a very young age, Remington showed artistic inclinations. His school notebooks were full of sketches, often depicting Old West characters. Remington's fondness for horses also materialized at an early age. As a youth, he was an excellent rider, encouraged by his father who had been a cavalry officer during the Civil War.

Remington was enrolled in a military academy at the age of fifteen. His desire to become an artist convinced his parents to let him take art classes at Yale University in 1878. After the death of his father, Remington quit Yale and decided to try to make a living as an artist. He spent five years traveling in the West, during that time he worked as a cowboy, ranch hand, and lumberjack. During that time he sent illustrations back to "Outing Magazine" "Harper's Weekly" and "Scribners." He illustrated articles by Theodore Roosevelt for "Century Magazine" and for Frances Parkman's novel, "Oregon Trail." His subjects were of prime importance, and his heroes were the everyday people of the frontier. He insisted on realism in every detail. He became a close friend of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and often visited his famous ranch.

Remington moved to New York City and began working as a freelance illustrator and studying at the Art Student's League. There he studied for a short time with J. Alden Weir, a founder of American Impressionism, but did not stay there long because he had little patience for formal schooling. His first accomplishment as a professional artist came in 1882, when one of his sketches was published in the February 25 issue of "Harper's Weekly". After that he began to get regular commissions and by 1887 was supporting himself very well. By 1890, his stature and wealth allowed him to buy a mansion in New Rochelle, where he built a large studio and stocked it with his collection of western artifacts. In 1895 he began working in bronze and his first sculpture, "Bronco Buster", won instant acclaim.

In 1909, Frederic Remington died suddenly from an attack of appendicitis in Ridgefield, Connecticut, at the age of forty- eight.