Artwork
Indian Figure in Profile
Indian Figure in Profile is a watercolor work on paper by the American Folk Art artist Henry Kirke Brown. It dates from 1851 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A man in a feathered headdress stands sideways, holding a bow and arrow. His face is sharp, his body still.
This watercolor was made in 1851, when most artists showed Native Americans as symbols, not people. Brown gave this man dignity—his quiet gaze feels real, not staged.
If you like this, look up the subject *men* for more portraits that treat people with respect.
Overview
Created in 1851, *Indian Figure in Profile* is a watercolor and graphite drawing on a thin, off‑white gilt‑edged Bristol board.
Created in 1851, *Indian Figure in Profile* is a watercolor and graphite drawing on a thin, off‑white gilt‑edged Bristol board. The work is attributed to Henry Kirke Brown, an artist better remembered for his sculpture. Measuring modestly, the piece belongs to the American Wing’s collection of mid‑nineteenth‑century folk art, a genre that often recorded everyday subjects with a straightforward visual approach.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a Native American man viewed in profile, his head adorned with a feathered headdress and his hands gripping a bow and arrow. The figure’s calm, direct gaze and the stillness of his posture convey a sense of individuality, contrasting with contemporary depictions that tended to treat Indigenous peoples as allegorical symbols rather than persons.
Technique & Style
Brown combines delicate watercolor washes with graphite line work, allowing the muted palette to suggest form while the graphite defines facial features and the contours of the headdress. The gilt‑edged board provides a subtle reflective border that frames the composition, and the overall handling reflects the modest, observational quality typical of American folk art of the period.
History & Provenance
Although primarily recognized for his public monuments, Brown produced this drawing during a phase when American artists were documenting frontier cultures. The work entered the museum’s American Wing collection through a mid‑twentieth‑century acquisition, where it has been displayed as an example of the era’s visual interest in Indigenous subjects and the crossover between fine sculpture and folk drawing.
Artist & collection
Artist
Henry Kirke Brown (February 24, 1814 in Leyden, Massachusetts – July 10, 1886 in Newburgh, New York) was an American sculptor.
