Who painted Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea, A Shawnoe Chief?

Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea, A Shawnoe Chief was painted by Albert Newsam in 1838.

Where can I see Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea, A Shawnoe Chief?

Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea, A Shawnoe Chief is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea, A Shawnoe Chief?

Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea, A Shawnoe Chief is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea, A Shawnoe Chief

Albert Newsam , 1838

Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea, A Shawnoe Chief is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Albert Newsam. It dates from 1838 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The hand‑colored lithograph titled *Qua‑Ta‑Wa‑Pea, A Shawnoe Chief* presents a seated portrait of a Shawnee leader.

About this work

Overview

The hand‑colored lithograph titled *Qua‑Ta‑Wa‑Pea, A Shawnoe Chief* presents a seated portrait of a Shawnee leader. Rendered on wove paper, the image shows the chief in a solemn pose, his features rendered with clear line work and modest coloration that highlights his attire and a prominent medallion on his chest.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter, identified as Qua‑Ta‑Wa‑Pea, is depicted wearing a red head covering, a blue shawl draped over a white shirt, and a large ornamental medallion. The dignified expression and the decorative elements convey his status within the Shawnee community, suggesting a visual record of leadership and cultural identity.

Technique & Style

Created in 1838, the work employs lithography—a printing process that was gaining popularity in early‑19th‑century America. After the stone‑based image was printed, it was hand‑colored, allowing the artist to apply selective hues to clothing and background, a method typical of portrait lithographs of the period.

History & Provenance

The lithograph was produced by Albert Newsam, a deaf artist trained at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and active in Philadelphia’s print scene. Newsam’s output included portraits, medical illustrations, and sheet‑music engravings, making him a notable early practitioner of American lithography.

Context

During the 1830s, lithography expanded as a means of documenting peoples and places across the expanding United States. Portraits of Native American figures such as this chief served both ethnographic interests and a growing public curiosity about indigenous cultures, aligning with broader Romantic‑era interests in the exotic and the noble savage.