Waa-Ba-Shaw; A Celebrated Sioux Chief
Philadelphia: J. O. Lewis.
Hand colored lithograph. Sheet measures 17 7/8" x 10 1/2".
This portrait of Waa-Ba-Shaw, a prominent Sioux chief, was published circa 1835 in James Otto Lewis' "The Aboriginal Portfolio", the first published collection of native North American portraits. Based on a painting made by Lewis at the Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825 at the invitation of Governor Lewis Cass. Waa-Ba-Shaw, more commonly known as Wapasha II, was a respected Mdewakanton Dakota chief, and the first of Native leaders to sign the Treaty. He lost an eye at a young age, possibly during a game of Lacrosse, and wore a black handkerchief in lieu of an eyepatch. This print is in good condition, with scuffs and smudging throughout, and some chips, tears, and tape residue along margins. Original margins have been slightly cropped.
James Otto Lewis (1799-1858) was an engraver and portrait painter who was commissioned by Governor Lewis Cass to paint portraits of Native American leaders. He accompanied Cass on several treaty expeditions between 1825 and 1827. Later, with the help of lithographers George Lehman and Peter Duval, Lewis published his prints into "The Aboriginal Portfolio", the first collection of native North American portraits published in ten monthly parts beginning in May 1935. His work also appeared in Thomas McKinney's "History of the Indian Tribes of North America", with 27 of the 150 prints based on his paintings. McKenney's portfolio, however, was published several years after "The Aboriginal Portfolio", and may be the reason for Lewis' unconventional but expedited publication in monthly parts. His original paintings were all destroyed in the 1865 fire at the Smithsonian, leaving this incredibly rare publication as the earliest surviving record of his work.
Illustrator: J. O. Lewis
Language: English
Price: $550.00
Item #297826