Edward Sheriff Curtis (American, 1868–1952)

LOT ID: 55429

An Oasis in the Badlands - Sioux, 1905

Photogravure, Japanese Vellum

15.88 х 19.75 in. (40.34 x 50.16 cm.)

Plate signed, below image, center.

Foundry/Publisher John Andrew & Son / The North American Indian Inc.

Lot description

Artist: Edward S. Curtis
Title: An Oasis in the Badlands - Sioux
Medium: Photogravure, Japanese Vellum
Portfolio III, Plate 80
Print Size: 15.88" x 19.75" (40.3cm x 50.1cm)
Image Size: 8.75" x 15.63" (22.2cm x 39.7cm)

The gallery retail for this photograph is $60,000
Price Estimate: $40,000 - $50,000

This classic Curtis image was made in the heart of the renowned Badlands of South Dakota. The subject is Red Hawk, the Dakota sub-chief who was born 1854. He participated in his first war party in 1865, with Crazy Horse, against U.S. army troops. He was a fierce warrior and ultimately engaged in 20 battles, including the Custer fight in 1876. Red Hawk is majestic as he sits astride his white stallion, while it drinks from a small pool on a vast prairie in the Badlands. He wears a full war bonnet of eagle feathers, a beautifully beaded and fringed war-shirt, beaded leggings, and heavily beaded moccasins. He carries a carbine and his horse wears large eagle feathers both on its mane and forelock. The image and the subject project an unusual combination of strength and calmness in the dramatic, iconic landscape.
This print is made in the photogravure photographic process, printed on hand-made Vellum etching stock. Photogravure was an expensive hand-printing process considered to be “the king of print processes”. This lyrical image is widely considered to be Curtis’ most important and beautiful Great Plains landscape. The compelling composition and subject matter still make this one of Curtis’ most sought-after images, more than one hundred years after it was made. This 8 3/4” x 16 5/8”(22.2cm x 39.7cm) photogravure print is in very good overall condition and has a delicate, open, luminous quality. This print has an illustrious exhibition history: it was a highlight of the only Curtis exhibition ever held in Curtis’ birthplace (Whitewater, Wisconsin) as well as an award winning Curtis exhibition in Columbus, Ohio.

This vintage Vellum photogravure is in very good overall condition. All four margins were trimmed (a total of approximately 2" in each direction) not effecting the image or plate impression. There are also several minor flaws, not atypical of large format vintage photogravures: minor area of surface rubbing in the lower print margin, primarily visible in raking light. A very minor crease in the upper right portion of the image, visible only in raking light, and moderate discoloration at the upper and left print margins, not effecting the image. Watermark "Van Gelder Zonen Made in Holland" in lower margin of vintage overmat. Excellent impression, and a fine example of the photogravure process. This photogravure was professionally washed and de-acidified to restore it to its original archival state and beauty.

This original vintage photogravure is printed on Japanese Vellum. This is an expensive handmade paper specifically selected by Curtis and J.P. Morgan for Curtis’ North American Indian project and noted for its smooth surface and fine resolution. The Vellum stock, produced one hundred years ago, is very resistant to contamination and damage and rarely requires conservation.

This vintage photograph is from the personal collection of Christopher Cardozo (“The Christopher G. Cardozo/Edward S. Curtis Collection”)

Edward Curtis is the most widely collected fine art photography in the history of the medium, and his work is found in major public and private collections internationally. He has also become the most widely exhibited. His work has moved viewers on every continent but Antarctica. He created an unprecedented body of work, which has won awards and accolades internationally. While the project nearly drove him into bankruptcy and cost him his health and family, today the aggregate value of the photographs he created exceeds one half of a billion dollars. Please see biography link above for further details.

Literature and Catalogue Raisonné
Literature and Catalogue Raisonné
Publication:

The North American Indian (Portfolio III Plate #80) Chiefs & Warriors, P.31 The Great Warriors, P.100 Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian, P.54
Condition Report
Condition Report

The seller has recorded the following condition for this lot:

Description:	Creases
Date
Date
Location:	Upper right
Location:
Area:	Image
Degree:	Minor
Notes:	Please see “Seller’s Description” section for condition notes.


Date
Date
Location:
Location:
Area:
Degree:
Notes:
Further information details

Definition Key

History and Provenance
History and Provenance
Provenance:
This vintage photograph is from the personal collection of Christopher Cardozo (“The Christopher G. Cardozo/Edward S. Curtis Collection”)

Exhibition:
This print was included in a major Curtis exhibition that toured Spain, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden between 2001 and 2007.

This print was a highlight of the only Curtis exhibition ever held in Curtis’ birthplace (Whitewater, Wisconsin), in 2006 as well as an award winning Curtis exhibition in Columbus, Ohio in 2004.
Shipping Information
Shipping Information
Shipping Carrier:
UPS

Shipping Weight: 5 lbs

Framing: No

Item Location: Minnesota, USA

Shipping Options:
Shipping weight is approximate, buyer is responsible for shipping, handling, insurance and VAT/import duties.
Payment and Return Policies
Payment and Return Policies
Accepted:
Wire Transfer

Sales Tax: Minnesota

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Christopher Sweet

(212) 497-9700 165

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Lot ID

55429

Artist

Edward Sheriff Curtis

Title

An Oasis in the Badlands - Sioux

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Margin Area	Edge, border, or perimeter areas
Image Area	Central image, focal point of the item/image.

Minor	Existing condition generally does not involve risk of loss
Moderate	Noticeable, increasing in severity and/or size; not serious, but should be monitored or corrected by a conservator
Major	Distinct, recognizable damage; stability of the work is questionable; risk is a factor; requires the attention of a conservator
Extreme	Advanced and severe damage; work is insecure and at great risk

Edward Sheriff Curtis (American, 1868–1952) LOT ID: 55429 An Oasis in the Badlands - Sioux, 1905

CONFIRMATION

Christopher Sweet

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