Drawing of Artist’s World
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Nearly one hundred mammals, birds, and fish are depicted in this drawing. Although the figures are only silhouettes, many are easy to identify. Three war stories, a buffalo hunt, and two fishing scenes are combined to create a vivid sense of place and human drama. Scholars believe that Wacochachi, a principal leader of the Meskwaki Nation during the first half of the 1800s, made the work. While visiting Saint Louis in 1883, Swiss artist Karl Bodmer painted Wacochachi’s portrait.
Artwork Details
- Title: Drawing of Artist’s World
- Artist: Attributed to Wacochachi (Native American, Meskwaki, Iowa, active 1820–50)
- Date: ca. 1830
- Geography: United States, Iowa
- Culture: Meskwaki
- Medium: Paper, ink, sealing wax
- Dimensions: Length: 9 3/4 in. (24.8 cm)
Width: 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm) - Classification: Paper-Drawings
- Credit Line: State Historical Museum of Iowa, Des Moines (I 192)
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing