This classic Curtis image was made in the heart of South Dakota’s Badlands. The subject is the sub-chief Red Hawk from the Oglala tribe, who was born 1854 and fought with Crazy Horse in 1865 in his first war party against U.S. army troops. He was a fierce warrior and ultimately engaged in 20 battles, including the Custer fight in 1876. This lyrical image is widely considered to be Curtis’ most important and beautiful peopled landscape of the Great Plains. Curtis loved the visual and metaphorical qualities of water as an aesthetic element. The compelling composition and subject matter make this one of Curtis’ most sought after and beautiful images.