Ee-áh-sá-pa, Black Rock, a Two Kettle Chief

George Catlin, Ee-áh-sá-pa, Black Rock, a Two Kettle Chief, 1832, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.80
George Catlin, Ee-áh-sá-pa, Black Rock, a Two Kettle Chief, 1832, oil on canvas, 2924 in. (73.760.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.80
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Ee-áh-sá-pa, Black Rock, a Two Kettle Chief
Date
1832
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
2924 in. (73.760.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — other — chief
  • Portrait male — Black Rock — full length
  • Indian — Sioux
  • Indian — Dakota
Object Number
1985.66.80

Artwork Description

Although George Catlin painted many bust-length portraits, this canvas is a rarer full-length figure. Catlin noted that Black Rock, a Western Sioux/Lakota who was highly respected by fur traders, was “a tall and fine looking man, of six feet or more in stature.” His long headdress is made of war-eagles' quills and ermine skins. His stance is regal, with a robe thrown over his shoulders and spear extended. To emphasize Black Rock’s nobility, Catlin borrowed a classical pose that he used frequently for important subjects. (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 1, no. 27, 1841, reprint 1973; Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)

Works by this artist (14 items)

Ken Price, Blue Pearl, 1996, painted earthenware, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1999.37
Blue Pearl
Date1996
painted earthenware
Not on view
Ken Price, Acrobatic Figurine Cups, 1970, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1988.18.13
Acrobatic Figurine Cups
Date1970
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
Ken Price, Jivaroland Frog Cup, 1968, color lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Inc., 1973.102.1
Jivaroland Frog Cup
Date1968
color lithograph
Not on view
Ken Price, Figurine Cup IV, from the Figurine Cup Series, 1970, color lithograph and screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1988.18.12
Figurine Cup IV, from the Figurine Cup Series
Date1970
color lithograph and screenprint on paper
Not on view

Exhibitions

Media - 1985.66.404 - SAAM-1985.66.404_1 - 9039
Picturing the American Buffalo: George Catlin and Modern Native American Artists
October 11, 2019March 13, 2020
Picturing the American Buffalo: George Catlin and Modern Native American Artists examines representations of buffalo and their integration into the lives of Native Americans on the Great Plains in the 1830s and in the twentieth century.