Assiniboin and Cree warriors attack Blackfeet 

This engraving by Karl Bodmer depicts Assiniboin and Cree warriors attacking a Blackfeet encampment. Created after Bodmer returned to Europe, it’s a window into how the West was being interpreted and consumed by European audiences. Engraving itself is a fascinating process. The artist would have used specialized tools, like burins, to carefully carve lines into a metal plate. Ink is then applied, filling these lines, and the surface is wiped clean. When paper is pressed against the plate, the ink transfers, creating the image. Consider the labor involved in this printmaking process, and also in the scene it portrays. The engraving immortalizes a violent clash between Native American tribes, framed by the presence of Fort McKenzie, and the American flag - a symbol of the westward expansion that irrevocably altered their world. The print becomes a commodity, a tangible representation of a colonial encounter, circulated and consumed within a European economy. It reminds us that art isn't just about aesthetics, but also about the stories materials can tell, reflecting labor, cultural exchange, and historical forces.