Wáh-Menítu, Teton Sioux Man

Description

Wáh-Menítu ("Spirit or God in the Water"), a cheerful, talkative man with a voracious appetite, was sketched at Fort Pierre in June, 1833. Bodmer gave Wáh-Menítu vermillion so that he might freshly paint his face in preparation for the portrait. The Teton first rubbed the vermillion generally over his features and then added broad and narrow stripes with the aid of a mirror and a small stick. A Sioux warrior who had touched a slain enemy in battle while under fire had the right to wear a feather horizontally in his hair as a symbol of the exploit. Wáh-Menítu was wearing one such feather that day at Fort Pierre. However, he had the acknowledged right to wear three and Bodmer, using artistic license, added two more to this portrait and to the woodcut later based on it.

Original German Title

None

Medium

watercolor on paper

Dimensions

10 7/8 x 8 5/8

Call No.

JAM.1986.49.247

Approximate Date of Creation

June 1833