photo #8949098

The Historian by the American artist Eanger Irving Couse, created around 1902. Printed with the following caption: 1902 The Historian; The Indian Artist is painting in sign language, on buckskin, the story of a battle with American Soldiers. When exhibited at the National Academy this picture was considered one of the most important paintings of the year. See if you can find the sign of the Indians, the United States Calvalry and the officer in command. The dots he is making are "bullets." See the arrows. The painting depicts two Native American figures, likely from the Taos Pueblo, inside a tipi. The adult figure is using a stick to point at pictographs drawn on a piece of buckskin, possibly illustrating a story or historical event to the younger individual. Couse was a founding member and the first president of the Taos Society of Artists, known for his depictions of Native American life in the American Southwest. The artist aimed to capture the daily life, customs, and traditions of the Taos Pueblo people through his academic painting style.