An interesting painting

Dear Red Lake

I have this old painting on woven soft cloth done with watercolor dyes (Indian Ink) and the cloth was out of production in 1840. It is a peaceful painting, with mide scrolls and totemic inscriptions around a portrait. As I attempt to research this fine art because it has no signature, I find in the 1800s artists were afraid to sign peaceful scenes of Native Americans. The government at that time frowned on any paintings that were not showing the primitive and savage nature of Indians. So, as I search data bases and historical files I find a painting called "Hole in the Day." The brass plate on this painting says Bug O Ney Geeshig Minnesota Ojibwe Chief. The painting was done by H. H. Cross and the search now gets interesting. An Artist to attribute my peaceful portrait too.

The Gilcrease Foundation in Tulsa is still attempting to locate the Henry Cross Painting registered with the Smithsonian as "Hole in the day." They have hundreds of H.H. Cross paintings. From what I have read Cross was financed by the millionaire art collector T. B. Walker or otherwise known as Minneapolis and Cross produced more then one hundred paintings depicting the primitive and savage images of Native Americans. Marcus Daly of Montana also financed him to continue depicting Indians as savages. My image of Bug O Ney Geeshig is a peaceful portrait unlike the commissioned work of H. H. Cross. It is unlikely that the Gilcrease painting is even of Bug O Ney Geeshig, but a battle scene attributed to his name. Commissioned and financed art to a millionaires liking; who would of guessed? In America.

Cheryl

chermann541@aol.com