Atsina Camp

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Artist

Karl Bodmer

Birth and death dates

1809 - 1893

Artist Nationality

Swiss

Title

Atsina Camp

Date

August 5, 1833

Dimensions

10 7/8 × 16 7/8 in. (27.6 × 42.9 cm)

Medium

Graphite on paper

Institution

Joslyn Art Museum

Credit Line

Gift of the Enron Art Foundation

Accession Number

1986.49.178

Rights (i.e. copyright information)

Joslyn Art Museum

Photographer credit

Photograph © Bruce M. White, 2019

Commentary

On August 5 Maximilian's keelboat stopped opposite an Atsina camp at the mouth of the Judith River. It was a large camp encompassing over 200 tipis, and the boat was soon besieged by visitors demanding to trade or be given merchandise. Since the Indians far outnumbered the party of travelers, there was concern that the situation could turn hostile. The vessel sailed as soon as possible. Under the circumstances Bodmer probably had little time to record the scene, and this pencil sketch may well have been done afterwards from memory. A month later, when the travelers passed by this spot on their return downstream, there was not a trace of the camp. A vivid recreation of this Atsina encounter, very like the sketch, appeared as Tableau 38 in the atlas of aquatints.

References in Journal

August 5, 1833

Labels:

structure , riverscape , Missouri River

Approximate Depicted Location:

Atsina Camp at mouth of Judith River