Lot 172

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Description:

Edward S. Curtis
(1868 - 1952)
A Walpi Man "Meator" (A Moki Chief), 1900
platinum print
Copyright blind stamp, at lower left on print recto (Pointed ends): COPYRIGHTED 1903 BY E.S. CURTIS
In negative at lower left on print recto: +58
Copyright info in the negative, at lower left on print recto: COPYRIGHT 1903 BY E.S. CURTIS

Negative Date: 1900
Print Date: 1903
Walpi, Southwest

The Walpi Man is an iconic Curtis portrait widely considered to be aesthetically in the top one tenth of one percent of all of Curtis' work. It has a pleasing, open, tonality. Platinum prints of this image are extremely rare and highly sought after. The image is highly evocative and illustrates the extraordinary connection Curtis had with many Native Americans and their leaders. The subject is Meator, an important Hopi leader, from a tribal group with whom Curtis was especially close. It is one of his most historically significant images as it was made during Curtis' first independent, self-financed trip into the field, in 1900. Of Curtis' forty to fifty thousand images, many consider this to be one of his most compelling.
This image is illustrated in numerous books on Edward Curtis, but of key importance is that this exact print was copy photographed to reproduce the cover of Cardozo's major Curtis book, Sacred Legacy: Edward Curtis and the North American Indian.

    Provenance:
  • Edward Curtis Studio, Seattle
    Private Collection(s)
    The Christopher G. Cardozo Collection, 1998
  • Dimensions:
  • 15 1/4 x 10 7/16 in. (38.74 x 26.51 cm.), Frame: 29 x 25 1/8 in. (73.66 x 63.82 cm.)
  • Artist Name:
  • Edward S. Curtis
  • Exhibited:

  • Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian (176 print exhibit), 2000

    Publication History - Print:
    Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian, Simon & Schuster, 2000, Front cover; Page 109

    Publication History - Image:
    The North American Indian (1907-1930), Portfolio 12, Plate #424
    Native Nations, Bulfinch Press, 1993, Page 136
    Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian, Simon & Schuster, 2000, Front cover; Page 109
    Edward S. Curtis One Hundred Masterworks, Delmonico Books/Prestel Publishing, 2015, Page 54
  • Medium:
  • platinum print
  • Condition:
  • This print is in excellent condition overall. There is very minor, scattered historic retouching, primarily visible upon close inspection. There is minor, scattered surface soiling on the print recto. The print recto is not affected.

    The condition reports for the lots offered by Santa Fe Art Auction (SFAA) are provided as a courtesy and convenience for potential buyers. The reports are not intended to nor do they substitute for physical examination by a buyer or the buyer's advisors. The condition reports are prepared by SFAA staff members who are not art conservators or restorers, nor do they possess the qualifications needed for comprehensive evaluation. Each condition report is an opinion of the staff member and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report does not imply anything as to the condition of a particular lot. Buyers are reminded that the limited warranties are set forth in the Terms and Conditions of Sale and do not extend to condition. Each lot is sold as-is.

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