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1837 Crow Indian on the Lookout by Alfred Jacob Miller (American, 1810-1874) Walters Art Gallery
"From the bluffs, as from an observatory, the vigilant Indian overlooks the prairie far & near. His cunning eye sweeps the horizon in all directions & from long practice he discerns an object (like the sailor on the ocean) much sooner than an ordinary observer. He marks in what direction game is to be had, the approach of an enemy or emigrant train (all being fish that come to his net). He balances the chances if the latter, & uses his discretion whether to send out his warriors or not, for he will not give battle without the odds are greatly in his favor. In collision he asks no quarter, nor expects any, but has an intense admiration that 'to the victor belongs the spoils' & carries it out to the last letter." A.J. Miller, extracted from "The West of Alfred Jacob Miller" (1837).
In July 1858 William T. Walters commissioned 200 watercolors at $12 apiece from Baltimore born artist Alfred Jacob Miller. These paintings were each accompanied by a descriptive text, & were delivered in installments over the next 21 months & ultimately were bound in 3 albums of field-sketches drawn during the 1837 expedition that Miller had undertaken to the annual fur-trader's rendezvous in the Green River Valley (in what is now western Wyoming).
Extracts from Alfred Jacob Miller’s original text accompanied his images of Native Americans These words, which shaped how Miller’s contemporaries viewed the watercolors, often reveal an underlying racism & sexism embedded in 19C exploration & colonization of the western part of what is today the United States.
William T. Walters (1820-1894) was a prominent American businessman, philanthropist, & art collector in the 19C. He was known for his successful career in the railroad industry. Walters amassed a substantial fortune through his business ventures, which allowed him to pursue his passion for art collecting. Upon his death in 1894, Walters bequeathed his extensive art collection, along with significant funds, to the city of Baltimore. This collection formed the basis of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.
