The Flute Player

Edwin Willard Deming grew up among the Winnebago Indians and devoted his career to picturing Native Americans as peaceful and noble figures. This scene shows the mythical ​“Indian Orpheus” charming wild animals with the sound of his flute. The brightly colored leaves blanketing the ground and the wide eyes of the animals create a magical kingdom far from the nation’s urban centers. With the onset of industrialization, imaginary, romantic views of Native American life were widely collected by comfortable, middle-class Americans.