Portraits of Native American chiefs. “The aboriginal portfolio : a collection of portraits of the most celebrated chiefs of the North American Indians.” Published in Philadelphia in 1835, it is the work of James Otto Lewis (1799-1858).

“Kee-O-Kuck or the Watching Fox: The present chief of the Sauk tribe and Successor to Black Hawk.” Page 1. Painted by J. O. Lewis at the great treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825. Lehman and Duval, Philadelphia, engravers. Gregory Javitch Native Peoples of the New World Collection, University of Alberta Libraries. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bp_1389667/mode/1up

“Nabu-Naa-Kee-Schick or The One Side of the Sky. A Chippewa chief.” Page 2. Painted at the Treaty of Fond du Lac (on Lake Superior) by J. O. Lewis in 1826. Lehman and Duval, Philadelphia, engravers. Gregory Javitch Native Peoples of the New World Collection, University of Alberta Libraries. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bp_1389667/page/n1/mode/1up

“Waa-Na-Taa or the Foremost in Battle: Chief of the Sioux Tribe.” Page 3. Painted by J. O. Lewis at the Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825. Lehman and Duval, Philadelphia, engravers. Gregory Javitch Native Peoples of the New World Collection, University of Alberta Libraries. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bp_1389667/page/n2/mode/1up

“The Little Crow: A celebrated Sioux Chief.” Page 12. Page 3. Painted by J. O. Lewis at the Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825. Lehman and Duval, Philadelphia, engravers. Gregory Javitch Native Peoples of the New World Collection, University of Alberta Libraries. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bp_1389667/page/n12/mode/1up

James Otto Lewis started out as an engraver in Philadelphia around 1815. Fascinated by what he learned of the western territories, as a young man he went west in 1819. Traveling with the governor of the Michigan Territory Lewis worked for the United States government painting official portraits of Native Americans in the course of his employment which included attending numerous treaties and ceremonies so these are painted from life. Learn more about him here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Otto_Lewis. Quite a few so more for later posts, too.

A selection of portraits of Native Americans painted by Henry Inman. Living from 1801 to 1846, Inman was first vice president of the National Academy of Design. Studied under John Wesley Jarvis.

“*No-Tin (Wind)*.” 1832-1833. American. Oil on canvas. Collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In the public domain in the United States because the artist died over 100 years ago. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_Inman_-*No-Tin*(Wind)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

“Pes-Ke-Le-Cha-Co.” 1832-1833. American. Oil on canvas. In the public domain due to age. via https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/813594

“Hoo-Wan-Ne-Ka (Little Elk).’ 1832. American. Oil on canvas. 1832. Whitney Western Art Museum. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/museum-minute-national-indian-gallery#stream/0

These are from a set of portraits painted by Inman in 1832 and 1833 in preparation for the production of hand-colored lithographs for Thomas L. McKenney’s “The History of the Indian Tribes of North America.” These leaders had originally been painted from life by Charles Bird King, when invited to Washington by the United States government and greeted by President James Monroe in 1822. King’s portraits were destroyed in a fire at the Smithsonian Museum in 1865 but Inman’s have survived. (The above referenced information is taken from the Metropolitan Museum of Art description of the portrait of “Pes-Ke-Le-Cha-Co.” above.

Portraits of Native Americans from before a lot of people decided to go out west and it was never the same again. From George Catlin’s work, “O-Kee-Pa; a Religious Ceremony; and other Customs of the Mandans,” an account of an annual religious ceremony practised by the Mandan tribe. Published in 1867.

“Two Mandan men and one woman.” Page 20. Simonau and Toovey, lithographers after a drawing by Catlin. Collections of the University of Pittsburgh Library System. Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation, digitalizing sponsor. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/okeepareligiousc00catl/page/n19/mode/2up

“Bird’s eye view of part of the Mandan Village.” Plate II, page 25. *Simonau and Toovey, lithographers after a drawing by Catlin. Collections of the University of Pittsburgh Library System.* Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation, digitalizing sponsor. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/okeepareligiousc00catl/page/n25/mode/2up

“Lodge Interior.” Plate 3, page 39. *Simonau and Toovey, lithographers after a drawing by Catlin. Collections of the University of Pittsburgh Library System.* Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation, digitalizing sponsor. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/okeepareligiousc00catl/page/n39/mode/2up

Note: there are 13 of these plates, these are merely the first three with more posts with the others yet to come. These were published towards the end of Catlin’s life, but the images and the text refer back to a visit in July of 1832 when Catlin was joined by, among others, a J. Kipp who was agent for the Missouri Fur Company.