Exhibition of Indian Tribal Ceremonies at the Olympic Theater, Philadelphia
In watercolor produced for Pavel Petrovich Svinin’s "A Picturesque Voyage in North America" (1815), Krimmel illustrated Svinin’s account of an American Indian dance ceremony at an 1812 tribal delegation meeting in Philadelphia. Scholars have not, however, been able to
document the occurrence of such a meeting. Svinin may have invented this narrative by combining details from two 1804 performances: one staged by an Osage delegation for Thomas Jefferson during a visit to Washington, D.C., and another a few weeks later by the same tribal representatives at New York City’s Vauxhall Gardens. Krimmel, like Svinin, had never witnessed such an event in person. Working with the sources he had at hand, he derived the figures in his council scene from works by Benjamin West and from anatomical studies he had done as a student in Philadelphia.
document the occurrence of such a meeting. Svinin may have invented this narrative by combining details from two 1804 performances: one staged by an Osage delegation for Thomas Jefferson during a visit to Washington, D.C., and another a few weeks later by the same tribal representatives at New York City’s Vauxhall Gardens. Krimmel, like Svinin, had never witnessed such an event in person. Working with the sources he had at hand, he derived the figures in his council scene from works by Benjamin West and from anatomical studies he had done as a student in Philadelphia.
Artwork Details
- Title: Exhibition of Indian Tribal Ceremonies at the Olympic Theater, Philadelphia
- Artist: Attributed to John Lewis Krimmel (1786–1821)
- Former Attribution: Formerly attributed to Pavel Petrovich Svinin (1787/88–1839)
- Date: 1811–ca. 1813
- Culture: American
- Medium: Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on white laid paper
- Dimensions: 7 1/16 x 9 1/4 in. (17.9 x 23.5 cm)
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1942
- Object Number: 42.95.28
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
John Lewis Krimmel
Pavel Petrovich Svinin
1811–ca. 1813
John Lewis Krimmel
Pavel Petrovich Svinin
1811–ca. 1813
John Lewis Krimmel
Pavel Petrovich Svinin
1811–ca. 1813
John Lewis Krimmel
Pavel Petrovich Svinin
1811–ca. 1813
John Lewis Krimmel
Pavel Petrovich Svinin
1811–ca. 1813
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.