The Dying Tecumseh

Ferdinand Pettrich, The Dying Tecumseh, modeled ca. 1837-1846, carved 1856, marble with painted copper alloy tomahawk, 36 ⁵⁄₈ x 77 ⁵⁄₈ x 53 ³⁄₄ in. (93.1 x 197.2 x 136.6 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Capitol, 1916.8.1

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Artwork Details

Title: The Dying Tecumseh
Artist: Ferdinand Pettrich
Date: modeled ca. 1837-1846, carved 1856
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
3rd Floor
/
North Wing
Dimensions: 36 ⁵⁄₈ x 77 ⁵⁄₈ x 53 ³⁄₄ in. (93.1 x 197.2 x 136.6 cm.)
Credit Line: Transfer from the U.S. Capitol
Mediums: marble
metal
Mediums Description: marble with painted copper alloy tomahawk
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: State of being — death
Figure male — full length
Indian
Portrait male — Tecumseh
Object Number: 1916.8.1
Research Notes: 1916.8.1.pdf
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1916.8.1

Artwork Description

Tecumseh (Shawnee, 1768--1813) was a vital figure in the Native American resistance to U.S. expansionism after the Revolution. A warrior chief from the Ohio Valley, he worked to build a coalition of Indigenous nations that would block white settlers from encroaching further west. In the War of 1812 (1812--15), Tecumseh strategically allied his forces with the British but was killed by U.S. troops in the Battle of the Thames. The future president William Henry Harrison, who led that pivotal battle, recognized the formidable challenge Tecumseh's coalition would have posed to the United States, calling him, "one of those uncommon geniuses, which spring up occasionally to produce revolutions."
This sculpture emulates the ancient Roman sculpture the Dying Gaul, which similarly portrays a military adversary as heroic, yet exotic and powerless. A fictive portrait, it mythologizes Tecumseh as a timeless "noble savage," dangerously and erroneously suggesting that his death and the rapacious expansion of the United States were inevitable. The work stood in the U.S. Capitol from 1864 to 1878, a time when Congressional legislation profoundly impacted Indigenous sovereignties.

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Conserving Three-Dimensional Objects
Carving Myths Out of History: Ferdinand Pettrich's sculpture, "The Dying Tecumseh" Lecture

NARRATOR: Objects conservator Helen Ingalls and curator George Gurney carefully plan for a major treatment to Ferdinand Pettrich’s sculpture "The Dying Tecumseh." In 1878, before entering the Smithsonian’s collection, the sculpture’s tomahawk was shortened and rotated 180 degrees. Written documents and photos of the artist’s plaster model confirmed this alteration. Curators and conservators frequently collaborate to figure out how to accurately preserve an artist’s original intent.

HELEN INGALLS: It was a perfect opportunity to set right what is not right and what’s been bothering us for a long time. So, I’m delighted to be able to do this finally, to do right by Tecumseh.

NARRATOR: A hard stonelike material held the reversed tomahawk in place. There are no records of the materials used, and the space between the hand and the shaft is tight. A single slip could put the marble in jeopardy. It’s a risky procedure requiring multiple techniques and a steady hand.

HI: I’ll proceed figuring it out as I go. I won’t necessarily know the exact right tool the minute I start working on it. This is always a process of discovery and experimentation.

NARRATOR: Once loosened from the hand and the base the tomahawk is removed with care so that it can be repositioned and lengthened. A dowel fits into the end of the existing metal-shaft. And a copper pipe slips into place around it. The documentation specifies that exactly 15 inches were removed, so the new extension is exactly 15 inches long. The copper pipe will be painted to match the existing shaft. A trial run reveals that the sculpture’s arm needs to turn to accept the longer shaft. Fortunately, the angle of the arm joint could be easily adjusted along an existing seam.

HI: One of the good things about being able to take the arm off is that I could see the position had changed, that it had rotated slightly. It seems clear to me just based on the musculature when it’s in this position, that in fact we can adjust it slightly back to what the artist originally conceived. So that’s an exciting change that we didn’t anticipate.

NARRATOR: Fully cleaned and restored, Tecumseh is now on view on the second floor of the museum. With the tomahawk’s blade extended overhead, the piece once again reflects the warrior’s dying moment with dignity and grace.