Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers

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Artist

Karl Bodmer

Birth and death dates

1809 - 1893

Artist Nationality

Swiss

Title

Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers

Date

January 1833

Dimensions

5 7/16 × 8 11/16 in. (13.8 × 22.1 cm)

Medium

Graphite on paper

Institution

Joslyn Art Museum

Credit Line

Gift of the Enron Art Foundation

Accession Number

1986.49.101

Rights (i.e. copyright information)

Joslyn Art Museum

Photographer credit

Photograph © Bruce M. White, 2019

Commentary

Bodmer made a quick sketch of a steamer on the Mississippi from the deck of the Homer near the mouth of the Arkansas River. Curiously, the boat is not mentioned in the title, which was derived from a partial inscription on the sketch itself. Even more curious is the head of a man, apparently a slave, seen in profile at the extreme upper right of the drawing. Bodmer later mentioned to Maximilian that in New Orleans he had seen a packet of slaves bound for Mobile, Alabama, but aside from this sketch he made no studies of blacks.

References in Journal

February 15, 1833

Labels:

riverscape , steamboat , Mississippi River , Arkansas River

Approximate Depicted Location:

Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers