Adolph Alexander Weinman (American, born Germany, 1870–1952). <em>Chief Blackbird, Ogalalla Sioux</em>, modeled 1903, cast 1907. Bronze, 16 3/8 x 12 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (41.6 x 31.8 x 29.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of George D. Pratt, 15.512. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 15.512_front_PS6.jpg)

Adolph Alexander Weinman (American, born Germany, 1870–1952). Chief Blackbird, Ogalalla Sioux, modeled 1903, cast 1907. Bronze, 16 3/8 x 12 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (41.6 x 31.8 x 29.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of George D. Pratt, 15.512. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 15.512_front_PS6.jpg)

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Why did the curator put these objects together?

The views shared by many Americans around the centennial towards Native Americans people, contrasted with actual works made by Natives, are being highlighted here. Many people regarded natives as "Noble Savages" that were disappearing and wanted to capture and preserve that legacy.

In actuality, Native American culture was alive and well. Some people continued to lived in traditional ways on tribal lands and others moved into cities and lived like "typical Americans."

Thank you!

You're welcome! You'll notice that many of the works in this room date to the 1870s. 1876 was the United States' Centennial celebration so it was a time of reflection -- what was America all about? How was national identity represented in visual art?

Chief Blackbird, Ogalalla Sioux

Adolph Alexander Weinman

American Art

ARTIST Adolph Alexander Weinman, American, born Germany, 1870–1952

MEDIUM Bronze

DATES modeled 1903, cast 1907

DIMENSIONS 16 3/8 x 12 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (41.6 x 31.8 x 29.2 cm) 43.5 lb. (19.73kg) (show scale)

MARKINGS Incised on proper right shoulder: "ROMAN-BRONZE / WORKS N-Y-"

SIGNATURE Incised on proper left shoulder: "CHIEF / BLACK / BIRD ... / OGALALLA / SIOUX. / A A WEINMAN"

COLLECTIONS American Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 15.512

CREDIT LINE Gift of George D. Pratt

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Bust portrait of Native American chief, facing frontally, wears elaborate feathered headdress and shirt with beaded or quilled bib; loose modeling. Condition: Good; powdery substance in crevices.

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Adolph Alexander Weinman (American, born Germany, 1870–1952). Chief Blackbird, Ogalalla Sioux, modeled 1903, cast 1907. Bronze, 16 3/8 x 12 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (41.6 x 31.8 x 29.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of George D. Pratt, 15.512. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 15.512_front_PS6.jpg)

IMAGE front, 15.512_front_PS6.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2013

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Why did the curator put these objects together?

In actuality, Native American culture was alive and well. Some people continued to lived in traditional ways on tribal lands and others moved into cities and lived like "typical Americans."

Thank you!