The Indian Hunter

ca. 1859

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 758

Preliminary maquettes (sketch models) for nineteenth-century American sculptures are relatively rare given their fragility and their transitory role in the process of sculpture-making. In this plaster, as in the edition of finished bronze statuettes (1973.257), Ward paid close attention to realistic anatomical form and textural detail in depicting a Native American man leaning forward in mid-stride tracking his prey and restraining his dog. The most significant compositional difference between this sketch and this finished bronze is the transition of the base’s shape from rectangular to oval. Ward later enlarged his model, making additional refinements resulting from an 1864 trip to Dakota Territory. A monumental bronze was dedicated in New York’s Central Park in 1869.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: The Indian Hunter
Artist: John Quincy Adams Ward (American, Urbana, Ohio 1830–1910 New York)
Date: ca. 1859
Culture: American
Medium: Painted plaster
Dimensions: 16 1/8 x 10 1/2 x 15 1/4 in. (41 x 26.7 x 38.7 cm)
Credit Line: Purchase, Anonymous Gift and funds from various donors, 2023
Object Number: 2023.245
Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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