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Drawings of Exploits in Battle
Little Shield Native American
Not on view
On each drawing, warrior Little Shield depicts himself riding into the action from the right, a conventional pictorial device. His horse is at full gallop, and he holds his arms outstretched. On six of the eight works, he brandishes a feathered shield.
These drawings represent the artist’s exploits in battle prior to 1868, and they were originally contained within a bound book with fifteen of his other works. Although horses and figures, in keeping with the earliest mode of pictorial representation, are elongated and highly simplified, they project a sense of energy and movement as well as the intensity of battle. Biographic drawings on paper represent a continuation of earlier narrative art painted on hide shirts and robes and depicted on rock formations over much of the American West.
Texan Killed
The two rearing horses convey a clash between Little Shield and a Texan. Little Shield holds a bow and rides a green horse. The Texan wears a hat and carries a gun with a bayonet. Wavy marks represent reins and also function as spirit lines, linking Little Shield to sacred power and the enemy he battles.
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