Mourning for the Dead 1849

drawing, watercolor

drawing

narrative-art

landscape

figuration

oil painting

watercolor

romanticism

united-states

genre-painting

indigenous-americas

"Mourning for the Dead" (1849) by Seth Eastman depicts a group of Native Americans gathered around a makeshift structure holding a body draped in cloth. The scene, rendered in watercolor, illustrates the grief and rituals associated with death within Native American culture. The painting, housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, showcases Eastman's expertise in capturing the details of indigenous life, particularly the somber ceremony surrounding a deceased individual. The artist's depiction offers a glimpse into the traditions and customs of Native American mourning practices, offering insight into their cultural values and beliefs.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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This nocturnal scene reveals mourners tearing their clothes and cutting their hair in sympathy for a loved one. A couple of knives just catch the glint of fire light. The burial ground is likely Pilot Knob, overlooking the Minnesota River. The site captivated Seth Eastman and he painted it several times, but this scene may be the most emotional. The body of this loved one has been tied to a scaffold, safe from predators, and furnished with provisions. When the ground warms up, it may eventually be buried. This watercolor, one of 35 works on paper by Eastman in Mia’s collection, was the basis for an illustration in Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’s massive "Historical and Statistical Information Respecting the History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States" (Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co., 1851-57).