White Hawk

[Diane Merkel]

From a website visitor:

I have an oil portrait of an Indian. He wears a "cowboy" type hat and a neck scarf. I cannot make out the artist's signature, but written on the bottom of the painting is the following: "J.B., The Squaw man known among Indians as White Hawk - Nov. 1, 1869"

Can you help with any information?

[glenbow]

At a glance, the portrait's style brings to mind the painting of Daniel S. Buisson, the nephew of James McLaughlin, the agent at Standing Rock after 1881, although this work does not look familiar. Other examples of Buisson's paintings were published in the Superior Press edition (1970) of McLaughlin's book "My Friend the Indian". Offhand, I can't recall what time period Mr. Buisson produced his works within, although I have a feeling that 1869 may have been a little early for him, but I would have to confirm that. I also seem to recall that Buisson used many scenes and models from Standing Rock as inspiration for his compositions. Perhaps this man, White Hawk, was enrolled at that agency at a later time? Once again, the date given presents a bit of a problem in that regard.

[glenbow]

I just took a quick look at the rations issue record I have from Standing Rock in the summer of 1885, and there was indeed a man named White Hawk (Cetan Ska) enrolled at that agency with the Lower Yancktonnai band at that time. His immediate family consisted of three people.

[glenbow]

I hope I'm not leading you on a wild goose chase here. I took another look at the Superior edition of McLaughlin's book, and it looks as though Buisson painted many of his works from about 1920, through the 1940s (he died in 1958). Many of his portraits of Native Americans were copied from historical photographs by D.F. Barry from the late 1800s, although I have never seen a photograph of White Hawk. You might check with the Denver Public Library, where many of Barry's negatives are preserved. I suppose I should have asked you if there is a pictograph of an arrow beneath the artist's signature, as that was common to many of Buisson's paintings. If the painting was finished in 1869, Busisson was definitely not the artist, as he was only born in 1880! Still, there is a striking similarity to his style.

[Diane Merkel]

Glenbow,

You have provided some great information.

Thank you!
Diane

[Ephriam Dickson]

Diane:

I took the liberty of sending the image around on another website of individuals extremely knowledgable about American Indian material culture. Several people responded that they believe your painting is by:

Joseph Henry Sharp (1859-1953)

Hope this helps.

Ephriam

[Diane Merkel]

Thank you, Ephriam. The date on the bottom of the painting is still troublesome. Perhaps, as Glenbow suggested, the portrait was painted from a photograph.

[Larry]

The signature on the painting is difficult to make out do to the darkness of the painting. As near as I can make out it appears to be possibly "H.S. McHeplert" but I am not sure.

[Grahame Wood]

I maybe wrong, but from the scan above, the painting looks too crude to be by Sharp. He didn't paint Northern Plains people until 1899. The portraits from this period that I'm familiar with have name of sitter and tribe painted at the top and the artist's signature is usually evident in one of the lower corners. Most of Sharp's painting was done in Taos and none of it is as crude as this.

[Diane Merkel]

Below is a photograph of John B. Whitehawk who was born circa 1870. The photo was sent to me by his grandson who is wondering if the White Hawk in the oil portrait (see top of this thread) might be his great grandfather (father of the man shown below).

In any event, what a stunning photo!