Bodmer painted Ahschupsa Masihichsi ("Chief of the Pointed Horn") in February, 1834 at Ft. Clark. The chief's striking profile is set against the late afternoon sky of this original watercolor that is distinguished by Bodmer's complete rendering of the landscape background.

Ahschupsa Masihichsi carries a large weapon known as a gunstock club. Its large wooden handle is modeled after the general shape of a rifle; its blade is made from metal obtained from traders.

A wolf's tail hangs from the belt, falling parallel with the Chief's very long hair. The elaborate red and blue quillwork on the legging completes the serene composition.

This figure is incorporated in our Perfect Recreation of the later aquatint Tableau 27, Scalp Dance of the Minitarres. There, Ahschupsa Masihichsi is the second figure from the left observing the ceremonial dance; his image is reversed left-to-right.

About Karl Bodmer

In 1832-34 German explorer-naturalist Prince Maximilian of Weid-Neuweid traveled the interior regions of North America to document what he referred to as vanishing cultures, the tribes of Native Americans who live in what was then a vast wilderness west of the Mississippi. Accompanying him was 23-year-old Swiss artist Karl Bodmer (1809-93), whom Maximilian employed to capture a “faithful and vivid picture” of American Indian people. During their journey, Bodmer painted chiefs and warriors from the same tribes -- and in some cases the same individuals -- that Lewis & Clark met on their journey nearly three decades before.

If you'd like to see and learn more about this fascinating body of work, click here to buy Karl Bodmer's America at Amazon.com