Post by Cliff Krainik on Jan 11, 2004 23:19:52 GMT -5
James Otto Lewis and The Aboriginal Port-Folio.
by Cliff Krainik
James Otto Lewis (1799-1858) began his career as a painter of Native American portraits in Detroit in 1823 with the likeness of Tens-qua-ta-wa, or the Prophet. Lewis Cass, Governor of the Michigan Territory, commissioned J.O. Lewis to secure the portrait and forward it to Thomas McKenney, head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. with the recommendation that the artist be retained to paint other notable Indians that visited Detroit. Governor Cass brought Lewis with him to Prairie du Chien in the summer of 1825 for the great treaty of all the tribes of the Upper Mississippi – a council of immense importance, for it envisioned the demarcation of various Indian lands: the prelude to U.S. acquisition. Lewis painted about sixty portraits of prominent Winnebago, Sac and Fox, Chippewa, Sioux, Potawatomi, and Ottawa chiefs as well as a grand “View of the Great Treaty Held at Prairie du Chien – September, 1825” (See Prairie de Chien: French, British, American by Peter Lawrence Scanlan, M.D., 1985 – republication of the second (1949) edition, plate facing page 134). Lewis subsequently accompanied Governor Cass to three other treaties where he expanded his record of Native American portraits. In this regard Lewis’ efforts precede the work of the great Indian portraitist George Catlin. Although the naïve quality of Lewis’ work certainly pales before Catlin’s artistry. Nonetheless, Thomas McKenney saw fit to include twenty-seven of J.O. Lewis’ watercolor paintings of Indians as the basis for print illustrations in his massive work, The Indian Tribes of North America.
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images.andale.com/f2/116/104/7566189/1075082065686_JOLsioux1.jpg [/img]
In May of 1835 J.O. Lewis began the publication of lithographs based on his paintings of Native Americans entitled the Aboriginal Port-Folio.. The hand colored stone lithographs were executed by Lehman and Duval of Philadelphia and were of the “small folio” size – approximately 19 by 12 inches. It is believed that Lewis was embittered after learning that Thomas McKenney intended to publish the paintings as a collection of lithographs, so Lewis decided to issue his own work himself.
J.O. Lewis’ collection of Indian portraits was intended to be published in ten monthly parts – each installment to contain eight hand colored lithographs and priced at two dollars. Lewis rightfully proclaimed that his Indian portraits were painted “on the spot and in the field” unlike the intended work of his rival McKenney and Hall who had retained Thomas Bird King to copy other artists’ work in the comfort and safety of his Washington, D.C. studio.
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images.andale.com/f2/116/104/7566189/1074303853931_JOLwomanBABYdt.jpg [/img]
In the Aboriginal Port-Folio 72 different lithographic portraits were published between 1835 and 1836. The grand project however, met with indifferent public response. Financial difficulties ensued forcing Lewis to dramatically reduce the number of printed copies of each installment. Even from the beginning, the Port-Folio was issued in very limited numbers and the complete ten part series is considered among the greatest rarities of Western Americana.
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images.andale.com/f2/116/104/7566189/1071543968558_JOLpipeDT.jpg [/img]
In 1838 The North American Aboriginal Port-Folio. by J.O. Lewis was issued in London, published by Ackermann & Company. The first installment contains a fine bust likeness of MAC-CAT-I-MISH-E-CA-CU-CA, or The Black Hawk – late chief of the Sac Tribe.
This portrait was made by Lewis when Black Hawk visited Detroit on his return from his imprisonment and “tour” of the east. The image was modified for use as the frontispiece for the second edition of Black Hawk’s autobiography, Boston, 1834.
Recently, Krainik Gallery of Warrenton, Virginia has had the good fortune of acquiring nine rare examples of J.O. Lewis’ lithographic Indian portraits which they have placed at auction on eBay. You can visit their site by going to this link.
cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=716&item=3265671477
by Cliff Krainik
James Otto Lewis (1799-1858) began his career as a painter of Native American portraits in Detroit in 1823 with the likeness of Tens-qua-ta-wa, or the Prophet. Lewis Cass, Governor of the Michigan Territory, commissioned J.O. Lewis to secure the portrait and forward it to Thomas McKenney, head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. with the recommendation that the artist be retained to paint other notable Indians that visited Detroit. Governor Cass brought Lewis with him to Prairie du Chien in the summer of 1825 for the great treaty of all the tribes of the Upper Mississippi – a council of immense importance, for it envisioned the demarcation of various Indian lands: the prelude to U.S. acquisition. Lewis painted about sixty portraits of prominent Winnebago, Sac and Fox, Chippewa, Sioux, Potawatomi, and Ottawa chiefs as well as a grand “View of the Great Treaty Held at Prairie du Chien – September, 1825” (See Prairie de Chien: French, British, American by Peter Lawrence Scanlan, M.D., 1985 – republication of the second (1949) edition, plate facing page 134). Lewis subsequently accompanied Governor Cass to three other treaties where he expanded his record of Native American portraits. In this regard Lewis’ efforts precede the work of the great Indian portraitist George Catlin. Although the naïve quality of Lewis’ work certainly pales before Catlin’s artistry. Nonetheless, Thomas McKenney saw fit to include twenty-seven of J.O. Lewis’ watercolor paintings of Indians as the basis for print illustrations in his massive work, The Indian Tribes of North America.
In May of 1835 J.O. Lewis began the publication of lithographs based on his paintings of Native Americans entitled the Aboriginal Port-Folio.. The hand colored stone lithographs were executed by Lehman and Duval of Philadelphia and were of the “small folio” size – approximately 19 by 12 inches. It is believed that Lewis was embittered after learning that Thomas McKenney intended to publish the paintings as a collection of lithographs, so Lewis decided to issue his own work himself.
J.O. Lewis’ collection of Indian portraits was intended to be published in ten monthly parts – each installment to contain eight hand colored lithographs and priced at two dollars. Lewis rightfully proclaimed that his Indian portraits were painted “on the spot and in the field” unlike the intended work of his rival McKenney and Hall who had retained Thomas Bird King to copy other artists’ work in the comfort and safety of his Washington, D.C. studio.
In the Aboriginal Port-Folio 72 different lithographic portraits were published between 1835 and 1836. The grand project however, met with indifferent public response. Financial difficulties ensued forcing Lewis to dramatically reduce the number of printed copies of each installment. Even from the beginning, the Port-Folio was issued in very limited numbers and the complete ten part series is considered among the greatest rarities of Western Americana.
In 1838 The North American Aboriginal Port-Folio. by J.O. Lewis was issued in London, published by Ackermann & Company. The first installment contains a fine bust likeness of MAC-CAT-I-MISH-E-CA-CU-CA, or The Black Hawk – late chief of the Sac Tribe.
This portrait was made by Lewis when Black Hawk visited Detroit on his return from his imprisonment and “tour” of the east. The image was modified for use as the frontispiece for the second edition of Black Hawk’s autobiography, Boston, 1834.
Recently, Krainik Gallery of Warrenton, Virginia has had the good fortune of acquiring nine rare examples of J.O. Lewis’ lithographic Indian portraits which they have placed at auction on eBay. You can visit their site by going to this link.
cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=716&item=3265671477
