''Elk-Foot of the Taos Tribe'' is a 1909 painting which is considered to be the masterwork of
E. Irving Couse.
History
The painting was purchased for the United States national art collection by the well-known art collector
William T. Evans
William T. Evans (1843 - November 25, 1918) was an American art collector.
Life
He was born in Ireland, and grew up in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. He studied architecture at the New York Free School.
He was President of the Mills & Gibb, and Mill ...
and is now displayed in the collections of the
Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Description
The painting measures 78 1/4 x 36 3/8 in. (198.6 x 92.4 cm.)
Elk-foot, whose anglicized name was Jerry Mirabal, began posing for Couse in 1907 and was one of the painter's favorite subjects because of his "physical beauty and ideal features."
The painting seems inaccurate, however. A
coup stick would be carried by North Americans, but not by the
Taos tribe. The blanket Elk-Foot wears is from England, and his
moccasins were from Couse's studio, and weren't used during the Taos period.
References
External links
Jerry Mirabal" (c1920) Harwood Museum of Art
The Harwood Museum of Art is located in Taos, New Mexico. Founded in 1923 by the Harwood Foundation, it is the second oldest art museum in New Mexico. Its collections include a wide range of Hispanic works and visual arts from the Taos Society ...
, Taos
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Masterpiece Museum
1909 paintings
American paintings
Paintings in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Native Americans in art