Studies of Native American Leaders Made at Fort Laramie
Bierstadt arrived at Fort Laramie, in present-day Wyoming, as a member of the expedition to the western portion of the Nebraska Territory with Colonel Frederic W. Lander in June 1859, during a time of tense relations between the Lakota (Teton Sioux) and the United States government. Bierstadt made vivid field sketches of the Native peoples he encountered there, including this powerful depiction of four leaders. The artist intently observed and recorded the clothing and physiognomy of each man, inscribing each one’s name below his head. In the foreground of the major painting that resulted from this trip, "The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak" (07.123), several of the male figures at the lower right may have been inspired by the present study.
Artwork Details
- Title: Studies of Native American Leaders Made at Fort Laramie
- Artist: Albert Bierstadt (American, Solingen 1830–1902 New York)
- Date: ca. 1859
- Geography: Made in Fort Laramie, Wyoming, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil and graphite on paper
- Dimensions: 13 x 16 7/8 in. (33 x 42.9 cm)
- Credit Line: Purchase, Adrienne Arsht, Stainman Family Foundation Inc., and Charles and Jane Klein Family Fund Gifts, 2012
- Object Number: 2012.1
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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Albert Bierstadt
ca. 1891
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1869
Albert Bierstadt
1890
Albert Bierstadt
1890
Albert Bierstadt
1890
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