Assiniboin Burial Scaffold

Description

The Assiniboins, like the Sioux, frequently place their dead on platforms secured to scaffolds or tree limbs (see Plates 186 and 187). This was one of many "tree graves" observed by Maximilian and Bodmer around Fort Union. The quiet of the scene, painted on July 41 is heightened by the luxuriant foliage and the thicket of blooming roses. A somewhat different mood is conveyed by the later aquatint (Tableau 30), to which Bodmer added three prowling wolves at the base of the tree.

Original German Title

None

Medium

watercolor on paper

Dimensions

12 1/2 x 9 7/8

Call No.

JAM.1986.49.173

Approximate Date of Creation

4th July 1833