LITTLE CROW. A SIOUX CHIEF, from History of the Indian Tribes of North America

Art Historical Context

Behold the striking portrait of *Little Crow, a Sioux Chief*, a hand-colored lithograph from the seminal series *History of the Indian Tribes of North America* (1836–1844), produced by Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall. Created around 1838, this graphic arts print captures the dignified bust of the Wahpekute Dakota leader in traditional Sioux attire—feathers, beads, and face paint evoking his status and heritage. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, it exemplifies 19th-century efforts to document Native American leaders through precise, lifelike reproductions. This artwork stems fro...