Charles Bird King

Charles Bird King was a prominent American portrait painter, particularly renowned for his depictions of Native American leaders. His style is best described as formal, realistic, and ethnographic.

Here's a breakdown:

• Formal: King's portraits were commissioned and intended to be official representations. Subjects are posed deliberately, often with symbols of their status or culture.
• Realistic: He aimed for accurate likenesses, capturing the details of facial features, clothing, and ornamentation with meticulous precision.
• Ethnographic: Beyond portraiture, his work served as a visual record of Native American cultures, documenting attire, customs, and physical characteristics.

Key themes: Dignity, representation, and documentation of a changing Native American world.

Tie to his name: Think of Charles Bird King as the "Chronicler of Bird, Beast, and Brave." While he primarily painted people, "Bird" in his name hints at his attention to detail and the documentation aspect of his work, encompassing elements of the natural world as seen in the clothing and adornments of his subjects, and "Brave" evokes the Native American leaders he immortalized.