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Cayuse Woman

Edward S. Curtis; John Andrew & Son, Boston

Artwork Details

Cayuse Woman
1910
Edward S. Curtis; John Andrew & Son, Boston
photogravure on paper
12 in x 9 3/16 in (30.48 cm x 23.34 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Kenyon
1987/1.207

Description

Subject Matter:

This image of a Cayuse woman is from The North American Indian (1907-1930), a twenty-volume series created by Edward Curtis in order to document the lives of Native Americans in diverse regions of the Western United States. This limited edition volume was financially supported by J.P. Morgan, and promoted by Theodore Roosevelt. The resulting works have been criticized and celebrated for their portrayal of Native American life. Curtis often included anachronous props and clothing and presented rituals that had not been performed in years in order to support an idealized and romantic reading of a “vanishing race.”

Physical Description:

A portrait of a woman with long braids, large earrings, and beaded jewelry. She wears a shirt with geometric lines embroidered into the fabric, and an ornate belt.

Usage Rights:

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