Osage Indians: Mohongo, Washingsabba (or Black Bird), and Big Soldier

Art Historical Context

In 1827, French artist Louis-Léopold Boilly captured the striking likenesses of three Osage Nation members—Mohongo, a woman; Washingsabba, also known as Black Bird, a man; and Big Soldier, a man—in this evocative print. Boilly, renowned for his realism and genre scenes during France's Revolutionary and Restoration eras, turned his keen eye to these Indigenous portraits, likely drawing from images of an 1825 Osage delegation Washington, D.C. The artwork, now in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, offers a window into early 19th-century cross-cultural encounters. As a print, this ...