Dave McGary

Dave McGary made bronze do what bronze had never done: feathers you can count, beadwork in true color, buffalo robes with painted winter counts — Plains figures finished in patinas and paint so exact that museums use them as teaching pieces. He called his subjects by name, worked with the families of the leaders he portrayed, and died young with his reputation made: the master of realism in bronze.

Revere Auctions provides free auction estimates for McGary’s work: send photographs of the piece, its marks, and its base and our specialists will respond promptly.

Who Was Dave McGary?

McGary was born in Cody, Wyoming in 1958 and grew up steeped in the West; a scholarship at sixteen took him, remarkably, to Italy, where he apprenticed in the foundries of Pietrasanta and learned lost-wax casting from masters who had poured for Moore and Marini — teenage training no American contemporary matched.

Back home he built his studio in New Mexico and devoted it to the Plains nations, working with Lakota, Cheyenne, and other families — his monumental portrait of the young Chief Washakie stands in the U.S. Capitol’s collection for Wyoming, and his public monuments stand from Oklahoma to Washington.

The signature innovation was finish: layered patinas and hand-painting that put true color — quillwork reds, trade-cloth blues — onto museum-grade bronze. He died in 2013, at fifty-five, in Scottsdale.

What Did McGary Paint?

McGary’s editions run from tabletop and maquette scale — the sizes most collectors own and the most liquid at auction — through heroic monuments. Signature subjects include named leaders like Washakie and Red Cloud, dancers, and buffalo-robed winter figures, every one finished in his painted-patina technique.

Editions are numbered and documented; foundry marks, edition numbers, and the condition of the painted surfaces are the cataloguing essentials. Note that his largest works are architectural in scale — the tabletop and maquette editions are the ones that ship and trade readily.

How Much Is My Dave McGary Bronze Worth?

Several things determine what a work by Dave McGary brings at auction:

• Edition and size — maquette and tabletop casts trade most actively; monumental casts are a specialist placement
• Subject — named historical leaders and the great robed figures lead the market
• Painted surface condition — his hand-painted finishes are the value — chips, fading, or amateur touch-ups cost real money
• Documentation — edition number, foundry marks, and original paperwork strengthen results decisively
• Base and completeness — original bases, plaques, and accessories matter to collectors

The honest answer is that no two are alike, and the difference between an ordinary example and an exceptional one is a conversation with a specialist, not a chart. Send us photographs through our free auction estimate form — front, back, signature, and any labels — and we will tell you what you have.

The Market for McGary

McGary bronzes trade steadily at auction, typically in the four figures for smaller casts, with important subjects and larger editions reaching five figures in recent years. His public monuments keep the name before a national audience, and the painted finishes make each cast feel unique.

Because condition of the painted surface drives value, photographs in good light are essential — and our specialist review of them is free.

How to Sell a Work by McGary

The strongest results for a Dave McGary bronze come at auction, where national and international collectors bid against each other. Revere Auctions offers free, no-obligation auction estimates: send photos and dimensions and our specialists respond with a current market valuation and a recommendation on how to sell. Consigned works are professionally photographed, cataloged, and marketed through our fine art auctions to a worldwide bidder base, and we regularly arrange shipping for consignors across the country. If you need a formal written valuation for insurance or estate purposes, our appraisal and valuation services team can help; you can also read more about how selling at auction works.

Related: American & Western paintings, our fine art department, appraisal services, free auction estimates.

Reviewed by the fine art specialists at Revere Auctions, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dave McGary: Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a Dave McGary bronze worth?

Smaller casts typically bring four figures at auction and important subjects and larger editions five figures. Edition, size, subject, and painted-surface condition decide it. Revere Auctions provides free auction estimates.

What makes McGary bronzes different?

His layered patinas and hand-painting put true color — beadwork, quillwork, painted robes — onto realist bronze, a finish he developed after teenage foundry training in Pietrasanta, Italy.

How do I identify my McGary’s edition?

Look for his signature, date, edition number (such as 12/75), and foundry marks on the bronze, and keep any certificates. Photograph all marks — they are central to the estimate.

Where can I sell a Dave McGary bronze?

At auction with a house that reaches Western sculpture collectors nationally. Revere Auctions offers free estimates and formal appraisals.

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