JOSEPH HENRY SHARP (American, 1859-1953). Portrait of Chief White Grass, 1902. Oil on canvas. 18 x 12-1/4 inches (45.7 x... (Total: 14 Items Items)

Description

JOSEPH HENRY SHARP (American, 1859-1953)
Portrait of Chief White Grass, 1902
Oil on canvas
18 x 12-1/4 inches (45.7 x 31.1 cm)
Signed and dated lower right: J.H. Sharp 1902
Titled upper right: Chief White Grass / Blackfoot

PROVENANCE:
Estate of the artist;
Thence by gift to a friend of the artist;
Thence by descent to the present owner.

"......Can't send you any heads now. I have a Crow [+Blk.feet] hid away for you. I don't show those ever. I have 2 Crows for myself and museums or [$s] can't get them now."
Joseph Henry Sharp wrote those words to a man who was his friend, his doctor, and his confidante. The two men met as doctor and patient, and that professional relationship grew over a number of years into a close friendship. The two exchanged letters over several years, and Sharp frequently offered commentary, insights, and opinions on the many colorful and influential patrons and customers who came to his Taos, New Mexico, studio to purchase paintings. A short time after this letter was written Sharp, true to his word, presented his old friend with the Blackfeet portrait he had mentioned, one of the paintings that Sharp held back from patrons and museums. In Sharp's estimation those Crow and Blackfeet portraits were among his best and most cherished artistic accomplishments.

By the time these two friends met, Sharp was already recognized as one of the country's foremost artistic interpreters of Native American culture. In the late nineteenth century he established a studio on the Crow reservation in Montana and painted the elders and chiefs from that reservation and surrounding reservations. Today those portraits constitute a rare and increasingly important historical record of a particular people at a time of great transition, from the nomadic culture of the Northern Plains to life on government reservations. Later, Sharp was one of the earliest artists to venture to the village of Taos in Northern New Mexico and was a founder of the Taos Society of Artists. It was Sharp, in fact, who convinced Ernest Blumenschein and Bert Phillips to take a painting trip to New Mexico; a trip that eventually led to the establishment of the artists' colony there. In Taos, Sharp painted Indians from the nearby Pueblo almost on a daily basis. Frequently those models were posed in the clothing that Sharp had collected from his stay on the Northern Plains and were surrounded by numerous objects from his extensive studio collection of Native American ephemera, such as bows, arrows, necklaces, and other adornments. Sharp gathered those items which are frequently shown in his paintings over the course of his entire career. They held a special place for him, both as artistic props and as symbols of the friendships he had formed among the many cultures that he chronicled.

In Sharp's later years, he and his wife split time between their Taos home and studio and his winter home and studio in Pasadena, California. It was in Pasadena that he sought treatment for his failing eyesight and other health issues, and it was in Pasadena that he met the physician who became one of his most trusted friends. As a token of that friendship, Sharp gave his doctor the painting referenced above, the portrait of Chief Shorty Whitegrass, a Blackfoot chief whom Sharp painted on at least four occasions. Two of those portraits are in museums: the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology at the University of California at Berkeley. All of the portraits were based on Sharp's first-hand observation of the chief in 1902 at the Crow Agency in Montana, and of a photograph Sharp made that same year of his subject. This particular portrait has never before been offered for sale, nor has it been published. It has stayed in the same family since it was originally given to the present owner's father in the late 1940s.

All the more remarkable is the fact that the painting is accompanied by several items from the artist's studio, all given as personal mementos to the original owner. All of these items held particular personal value to Sharp; some, such as the Native American material and the 1873 Winchester .44 caliber rifle, were used as artistic props. Others chronicled important events in Sharp's life, such as the original catalog of the inaugural exhibition that opened the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, an exhibition that was devoted entirely to Joseph Henry Sharp and which was assembled by his most important patron and collector, Thomas Gilcrease. Others, such as the four historic photographs by T. Harman Parkhurst, chronicled the lives and culture of the Pueblo villagers of Northern New Mexico, the subjects of much of Sharp's artistic career. All items were personally selected by Sharp and given to acknowledge his respect and affection. More than just random objects culled from his studio, they have significance as tangible records of the many years he spent working to chronicle Native American culture.

The painting is a remarkable example of Sharp's ability to capture the inherent dignity of his subjects. His portrait of the chief reveals the wisdom of the man and the many experiences that were etched in his face. Sharp said of Chief White Grass, "He was a foremost chief of several generations...He defended his people with great ability, love, and respect. When he passed on, his people honored his burial with many presents of clothing, medicine bags, food, etcetera, for his journey to the new home. I still carry a piece from his medicine bag [the] family gave me."

Heritage Auction Galleries is proud to offer this exquisite and important early painting by Sharp and the collection of personal items from his studio, offering a rare glimpse into the personal life of the artist as a single lot. Additional items from Sharp's studio, also given to his doctor, will be offered in Heritage's American Indian Art auction to be held in Dallas on January 22, 2009. Included will be four important Navaho weavings, Northern Plains pipe bags, Northern Plains bow and quiver, and other items personally collected by the artist.

More information about JOSEPH HENRY SHARP. See also: Sharp, Joseph Henry, Joseph Henry Sharp, Sharp, J. H. Artist.

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