Hayne Hudjihini, Eagle of Delight

Henry Inman American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 760

Inman’s portraits of Native Americans were painted in preparation for hand-colored lithographs to be made for a publication by the Head of Indian Affairs, Thomas L. McKenney—"The History of the Indian Tribes of North America" (1836–44). These distinguished leaders had originally been painted from life by Charles Bird King, when invited to Washington in 1822. King’s portraits were destroyed in a fire at the Smithsonian Institution in 1865. This rare portrayal of a Native American woman, Hayne Hudjihini, Eagle of Delight—wife of Sumonyeacathee, Chief of the Otoe-Missouria people—emphasizes her distinctive beauty and bearing. She is adorned with earrings, necklaces, and a silver bracelet.

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Hayne Hudjihini, Eagle of Delight, Henry Inman (American, Utica, New York 1801–1846 New York), Oil on canvas, American

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Hayne Hudjihini, Eagle of Delight, Henry Inman (American, Utica, New York 1801–1846 New York), Oil on canvas, American
Hayne Hudjihini, Eagle of Delight, Henry Inman (American, Utica, New York 1801–1846 New York), Oil on canvas, American
Hayne Hudjihini, Eagle of Delight, Henry Inman (American, Utica, New York 1801–1846 New York), Oil on canvas, American
Hayne Hudjihini, Eagle of Delight, Henry Inman (American, Utica, New York 1801–1846 New York), Oil on canvas, American

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