Who painted Portfolio II, Plate 75: Getting Water-Havasupai?

Portfolio II, Plate 75: Getting Water-Havasupai was painted by Edward S. Curtis in 1903.

Where can I see Portfolio II, Plate 75: Getting Water-Havasupai?

Portfolio II, Plate 75: Getting Water-Havasupai is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

Artwork

Portfolio II, Plate 75: Getting Water-Havasupai

Edward S. Curtis , 1903

Portfolio II, Plate 75: Getting Water-Havasupai is a work on paper by Edward S. Curtis. It dates from 1903 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Edward S.

About this work

Overview

Edward S. Curtis’s photograph titled “Portfolio II, Plate 75: Getting Water‑Havasupai” was produced in 1903 and is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The image presents a solitary woman seated beside a water source, holding a gourd, framed by a rugged cliff and sparse vegetation.

Subject & Meaning

The figure is dressed in a dark, long garment and her long hair falls loosely, suggesting a traditional mode of dress associated with the Havasupai people. Her posture and the act of gathering water imply a daily ritual tied to the community’s relationship with the arid landscape.

Technique & Style

Curtis employed a sepia-toned photographic process that emphasizes chiaroscuro, creating strong contrasts between illuminated areas and deep shadows. This treatment adds a three‑dimensional quality to the scene, highlighting the texture of the rock face and the folds of the woman’s clothing.

History & Provenance

The photograph was created during Curtis’s extensive fieldwork documenting Native American life in the early twentieth century. After its production, the print entered the holdings of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains accessible to scholars and the public.

Context

Taken at a time when many Indigenous cultures were undergoing rapid change, the image reflects Curtis’s broader project to record what he perceived as vanishing ways of life. The setting on a cliffside with limited vegetation underscores the harsh environment of the Havasupai homeland in the Grand Canyon region.