Black Knife, an Apache Warrior

John Mix Stanley, Black Knife, an Apache Warrior, 1846, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Misses Henry, 1985.66.248,933
Copied John Mix Stanley, Black Knife, an Apache Warrior, 1846, oil on canvas, 42 1⁄2 x 52 in. (107.8 x 132.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Misses Henry, 1985.66.248,933
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Artwork Details

Title
Black Knife, an Apache Warrior
Artist
Date
1846
Location
Dimensions
42 1⁄2 x 52 in. (107.8 x 132.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Misses Henry
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape
  • Indian — Apache
  • Portrait male — Black Knife — equestrian portrait
Object Number
1985.66.248,933
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.248,933

Artwork Description

Black Knife, also known as Baishan, or by his Spanish name, Cuchillo Negro, was a celebrated Apache chief. His raids on Mexico made him a nominal ally of U.S. army battalions sent to the area following the outbreak of the Mexican War (1846--48). The Apache sought to protect their ancestral lands, which had become disputed territories between Mexico and the United States.

In 1845, John Mix Stanley joined Colonel Stephen Watts Kearny's expedition through Santa Fe to California to put down Mexican uprisings. In late October 1846 Kearny's troops encountered Black Knife, here seen scouting the position of the army troops, near what is now the Tonto National Forest in Arizona. In the distance, Stanley portrays the Rio Gila, which runs through Arizona and New Mexico. Stanley based his painting on sketches he had made of the area's geological features and native plants, lending authenticity to his narrative.