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Catalog Data

Artist:
Henry Inman, 28 Oct 1801 - 17 Jan 1846  Search this
Copy after:
Charles Bird King, 26 Sep 1785 - 18 Mar 1862  Search this
Sitter:
Sequoyah, c. 1770 - Aug 1843  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
Stretcher: 76.8 x 64.1 x 2.5cm (30 1/4 x 25 1/4 x 1")
Frame: 89.5 x 77.5 x 8.9cm (35 1/4 x 30 1/2 x 3 1/2")
Type:
Painting
Date:
c. 1830
Exhibition Label:
Born Cherokee town of Tuskegee, eastern Tennessee
Sequoyah, the son of a Cherokee woman and a fur trader from Virginia, was a warrior, hunter, and silversmith. For twelve years, he worked to devise a method of writing for the Cherokee language. His syllabary, which ultimately included eighty-six symbols representing each of the language’s syllables, was approved by the Cherokee chiefs in 1825. The system made possible a rapid spread of literacy throughout the Cherokee Nation and the creation of written documents, including a constitution in 1827. The following year, the Cherokee Phoenix, a weekly bilingual newspaper, began publication in New Echota, Georgia.
This portrait of Sequoyah is based on a painting by Charles Bird King, who is best known for his portrayals of Native Americans. The original work, which was commissioned by Superintendent of Indian Affairs Thomas McKenney, was destroyed by the fire that swept through the Smithsonian Castle in early 1865.
Nacido en el pueblo cherokee de Tuskegee, Tennessee
Sequoyah, hijo de una mujer cherokee y un tratante de pieles de Virginia, fue guerrero, cazador y platero. Trabajó 12 años en la creación de un sistema de escritura para la lengua cherokee. Su silabario llegó a incluir 86 símbolos que representaban cada sílaba de dicha lengua y fue aprobado por los jefes cherokees en 1825. El sistema facilitó la rápida alfabetización de la Nación Cherokee y la creación de documentos escritos, incluida una constitución en 1827. Al año siguiente comenzó a publicarse el semanario bilingüe Cherokee Phoenix en Nueva Echota, Georgia.
Este retrato de Sequoyah se basa en una pintura de Charles Bird King, quien se dio a conocer por sus imágenes de nativos americanos. La obra original, encargada por el superintendente de Asuntos Indígenas, Thomas McKenney, fue destruida por el incendio que sufrió el Castillo Smithsonian a inicios de 1865.
Provenance:
Geoffrey B. Churchill, Wilbraham, Mass.; purchased 1979 NPG
Topic:
Symbols & Motifs\Medal\Peace medal  Search this
Interior  Search this
Printed Material\Document  Search this
Equipment\Smoking Implements\Pipe\Peace pipe  Search this
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Table\Writing table  Search this
Equipment\Drafting & Writing Implements\Writing implement\Pen\Quill  Search this
Container\Inkwell  Search this
Costume\Headgear\Turban  Search this
Costume\Robe\Banyan  Search this
Sequoyah: Male  Search this
Sequoyah: Education and Scholarship\Educator  Search this
Sequoyah: Education and Scholarship\Scholar\Linguist  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.79.174
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition:
Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View:
NPG, East Gallery 132
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4ce894233-72bf-4597-9c21-38019888044f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.79.174