Peau de bison decoree de pientures par un Indian

Like Lesueur’s Tyawapatia Bottom in this exhibition, this watercolor was also reproduced in facsimile in the c. 1933 folio album Etats-Unis de 1816 à 1837: Dessins de Ch.A. Lesueur. Bison Skin Decorated with Paintings by an Indian is a documentary sketch of a Native American buffalo hide painted with images of tribal warriors engaged in combat. Based on records of Lesueur’s exploratory travels, it can be deduced that this was done either in Indiana or Kentucky, where he completed numerous ethnographic sketches of the Choctaw culture. Representations of Native Americans from this period often depict them in a racially biased, stereotyped manner. Yet, Lesueur is known for his respect of indigenous peoples and this particular work is dedicated to a careful, factual study of a distinctive Native American art form.

Leah McWhorter