Two Cheyenne Youth
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Walter Shirlaw
Accession Number
1912-16-66
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Walter Shirlaw, born in Scotland in 1838 and later a prominent figure in American art circles, created *Two Cheyenne Youth* around 1880. Now part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection, this work captures two young members of the Cheyenne Nation in a sensitive portrayal typical of late-nineteenth-century figure studies. Gifted to the museum by the artist’s widow, the piece reflects Shirlaw’s broader interest in documenting the diverse peoples of the American West during a period of rapid cultural change. Though research on the artwork remains in progress and its medium is not yet...