VERSO
Titled

Sharp scholar Peter H. Hassrick observed that Sharp’s travels to Montana were crucial to his work: “Typically, the Sharps made a point to return to Montana by October, especially after Crow Fair, an agricultural celebration, was inaugurated in 1904. ‘I’ll be busy every daylight hour,’ Sharp wrote, ‘& up half the night at dances for next 10 days, as Indians are coming in fast for the big camp & fair next week.’

“The Indians set up tipis along the banks of the Little Big Horn River about half a mile from the agency and Sharp’s cabin. That was where Sharp habitually kept himself in October in order to capture traditional Indian life as Indians from other agencies came together. Many of them dressed in traditional clothing for the festivities, including dances and races. The Indians would parade across the ford and wind through the agency in their finery.”

Western art historian Patricia Janis Broder noted, “Sharp’s personal goal was to create a visual record of what he believed were America’s vanishing Indian cultures. Nicknamed the ‘Anthropologist,’ he was both anthropologist and poet. In the course of his career he completed oil paintings, watercolors, etchings, prints, and photographs of the Indians from diverse regions of the West.”

The artist remarked, “I was first attracted to the human side of the Indian; the character of the old warriors I found particularly interesting. Their romance and idealism are the most beautiful symbols brought down in the annals of time; their religion, their legends and superstitions are all unique. Not these alone, however, brought the greatest influence to bear on my work. It was more the humanity of the present, the aspect we can see, know and feel that was my greatest inspiration.”

PROVENANCE
The artist, ca. 1925
T. W. Bacchus, Wilmington, Delaware
Present owner, by descent

LITERATURE
Forrest Fenn, The Beat of the Drum and the Whoop of the Dance: A Study of the Life and Work of Joseph Henry Sharp, Fenn Publishing Co., 1983, p. 331, listed

Additional Resources

• Joseph Henry Sharp’s Past Results
• View Condition Report

Condition ReportSurface is in excellent condition. Small spots of inpainting upper-right corner, near edge of frame. Spot of inpainting lower-left corner, near tent stake.

Important Notice: Statements of condition are provided as a service to potential bidders and reflect educated opinions, not facts. All painting frames are sold “as is.” The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions.