Hand

Copied Joseph Henry Sharp, Hand, ca. 1900, oil on canvas, 1812 in. (45.730.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1985.66.209,421

Artwork Details

Title
Hand
Date
ca. 1900
Dimensions
1812 in. (45.730.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Indian — Sioux
  • Portrait male — Hand
Object Number
1985.66.209,421

Artwork Description

Hand was a Sioux Indian of Pine Ridge from the northern Plains. In this portrait he wears a buffalo-hide sash and feathers that identify him as a warrior and chief. His weathered face and piercing eyes reveal a proud but weary man. In the summer of 1899, Joseph Henry Sharp visited the Crow Agency in Montana, where many tribes, including the Sioux, attended a Crow Council. It is possible that he painted Hand from life, but he likely completed the painting in his studio using a photograph, a common practice of the artist. (Sharp to Mr. Ewers, August 9, 1948; Fenn, The Beat of the Drum and the Whoop of the Dance, 1983)