The Indian Huntress (La chasseresse indienne) model by 1841, cast 1840s

Charles Cumberworth created this bronze sculpture entitled 'The Indian Huntress' sometime in the mid-19th century. This statue participates in the European romanticization of the "noble savage," a popular trope in the 18th and 19th centuries. It depicts a Native American woman carrying a child on her back, frozen in a pose that idealizes her strength and supposed connection to nature. It's interesting to consider how such images contributed to the construction of racial stereotypes and the justification of colonial expansion. By examining period literature, political documents, and ethnographic studies, we can analyze the intentions behind this artwork. It is crucial to examine the complex power dynamics at play during the era, and the influence of artistic institutions. Such research reveals the ways in which art both reflects and perpetuates the social and political structures of its time.