Red Jacket after 1828

Editor: Here we have "Red Jacket," painted sometime after 1828 by A. Haddock. It’s an oil painting, and there’s something really striking about the sitter's gaze and stance. What jumps out at you? Curator: My eye immediately goes to the layering of materials, the clash between Indigenous garment and European accessories like that ornate neckpiece. Consider the provenance: How were these materials acquired? Who controlled their production? The very presence of European textiles and medals alongside what seems to be traditional clothing speaks volumes about trade and the dynamics of cultural exchange – or, perhaps more accurately, imposition. Editor: So you're seeing the materials themselves as evidence of power dynamics at play? Curator: Precisely. Think about the labor involved in procuring these materials. Who was working, and under what conditions, to create these goods? Was it a fair exchange, or were these items offered in exchange for land or resources, reflecting unequal power relationships? It asks a lot about who is the patron. Editor: It’s like the objects themselves are telling a story beyond the individual. Curator: Exactly. It shifts the focus away from the idealized representation of the individual to the broader socio-economic landscape of the time. Do you get a sense of Red Jacket's involvement? Does he accept those material exchanges willingly? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way before. I was focused on him as an individual, but you've shown me how to read the painting as a record of material interactions and power structures. Curator: And hopefully to inspire even more nuanced thought about our own displays of material, as a result of the labor of many.