Skip to Content
Today Open today 10–11 members | 11–5 public

Bust of an American Indian

A work made of bronze on bronze plinth.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of bronze on bronze plinth.

Date:

Modeled 1848–49, cast 1849

Artist:

Henry Kirke Brown
American, 1814–1886

About this artwork

Most mid-19th-century artists relied on romantic, often inaccurate conceptions of Native Americans, yet some, including Henry Kirke Brown, traveled west hoping to attain firsthand knowledge of their subjects. In September and October 1848, Brown journeyed to Michigan—then the American frontier—to create models of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians in preparation for a sculpture commissioned by the American Art Union. The resulting miniature portrait bust reveals the artist’s careful attention to details of physiognomy and hair; the figure thus displays a sympathetic naturalism and commanding nobility of presence.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Henry Kirke Brown

Title

Bust of an American Indian

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Modeled 1848–1849

Medium

Bronze on bronze plinth

Dimensions

20.3 × 8.6 × 6 cm (8 × 3 3/8 × 2 3/8 in.)

Credit Line

Roger and J. Peter McCormick Endowments

Reference Number

2003.44

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/180656/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share