Black Hawk, whose story?

John Wesley Jarvis, Black Hawk and His Son Whirling Thunder, 1833, oil on canvas, 75.6 x 91.4 cm (Gilcrease Museum) Note: the Sac and Fox Nation changed the spelling of their name from the 19th-century Sauk
A conversation with Laura F. Fry, Senior Curator and Curator of Art, Gilcrease Museum, and Steven Zucker

[@sherryzimmerman9220]

Such Majesty and Worth exudes from this portrait …..

[@barrymoore4470]

I agree, it's an exceptional representation of personality and character. The subjects' humanity and dignity project very effectively from this artist's observation.

[@paillette2010]

Heartbreaking, honestly.

[@josephmessner5312]

So much history. So much emotion. So much complexity.

[@christophers_verified]

Thank you so much for another fantastic video!

[@Sasha0927]

What I love about this piece is the ambiguous quality it seems to have. If someone had told me that this was a portrait of two black women - particularly from the islands (e.g. Trinidad) and over a century later - I would've believed that too. I was surprised to hear the actual identities of these two people. I love Whirling Thunder's scalp lock - not everyone can pull it off like he did! I also appreciate Black Hawk's beaded adornments, which I noticed were different in the second portrait of him around 4:00. His choice to wear the tailored jacket was interesting... Perhaps he felt a kinship to the British despite being defeated in war. I did wonder why this portrait was in Oklahoma, so it's nice that detail came full-circle at the end. Such a fascinating short video. 😄

[@janeknight3597]

So much we in the UK do not know. Thank you.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Thank you for your kind words, we hope to have some new content from the Midlands and the North published before long.

[@nondescriptbeing5944]

We don’t learn much of this in the US either.

[@barrymoore4470]

@@nondescriptbeing5944 Very true. Most Americans likely could cite the most significant indigenous figures they know from the nation's history on one hand.

[@clumsydad7158]

Native Americans, Indigenous .... ourselves, humans ... we are only beginning to understand

[@carlberg7503]

Fascinating, fascinating, fascinating. Interesting that the son chose not to wear European clothes. Does anyone know why? Interesting that Andrew Jackson was not able to control the narrative. As always, I learn so much about art and history from your channel. It's a national treasure.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Thank you for that very generous sentiment. It is appreciated.