Who painted Portfolio XVI, Plate 545: Iahla ("Willow") - Taos?

Portfolio XVI, Plate 545: Iahla ("Willow") - Taos was painted by Edward S. Curtis in 1905.

Where can I see Portfolio XVI, Plate 545: Iahla ("Willow") - Taos?

Portfolio XVI, Plate 545: Iahla ("Willow") - Taos is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

Artwork

Portfolio XVI, Plate 545: Iahla ("Willow") - Taos

Edward S. Curtis , 1905

Portfolio XVI, Plate 545: Iahla ("Willow") - Taos is a work on paper by Edward S. Curtis. It dates from 1905 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Portfolio XVI, Plate 545, titled Iahla ("Willow") – Taos, is a black‑and‑white photograph taken by Edward S.

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a person wrapped in a light cloth draped over their head.

This is a black-and-white portrait of a person wrapped in a light cloth draped over their head. Their face is serious, with deep lines around the eyes and mouth. The lighting is soft, mostly on one side, leaving the other side in shadow.

The photo was taken in 1905 and is part of a series by the photographer. Notice how the light and shadow create a strong contrast—this is called *chiaroscuro*.

Look up chiaroscuro next to see how artists use light and dark to shape faces.

Overview

Portfolio XVI, Plate 545, titled Iahla ("Willow") – Taos, is a black‑and‑white photograph taken by Edward S. Curtis in 1905. The image is part of Curtis’s larger series documenting Native peoples of the American West and is currently in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait shows a Native individual wrapped in a light cloth that covers the head, presenting a solemn expression marked by pronounced lines around the eyes and mouth. The composition suggests a dignified, perhaps ritual, presence, emphasizing the subject’s identity and cultural context within the Taos region.

Technique & Style

Curtis employed strong chiaroscuro, allowing a soft, directional light to illuminate one side of the face while the opposite side recedes into shadow. This contrast sculpts the facial features and creates a three‑dimensional effect, a hallmark of early twentieth‑century photographic portraiture that sought to convey depth and mood through tonal variation.

History & Provenance

Captured in 1905, the photograph was included in the sixteenth volume of Curtis’s extensive portfolio of Native American images. Over the ensuing decades it entered the holdings of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains accessible for study and public exhibition as part of the museum’s American art collection.