The Three Chiefs

Description

Approx. Image Size: 21 x 27”
Edition of 285

The Three Chiefs is arguably the single most important of Curtis’ 50,000 photographic images. The photograph was made in the summer of 1900 and is the key image from that critical, watershed period in Curtis’ life. It was during this short field trip to Montana with noted ethnographer George Bird Grinnell that Curtis first met Native Americans whose culture was still largely intact and who were also willing to share their religion, mythology, and personal lives with him. This brief encounter ignited Cutis’ passion to preserve a comprehensive record of Native American life. This two-week experience inalterably changed Curtis, and his life was never the same again. It is said that in making this image of three tribal leaders in their traditional garb on a typical upland prairie, that Curtis spent three days looking for the perfect combination of riders, sky, and land.

Master printmaker and artist, Steven Anderson, created our beautiful contemporary photo-lithographs. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Rockfeller Fellowship.  He has worked with over 100 artists including Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe & William Wegman. His prints have been exhibited in over 2,000 exhibits including The Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney, The National Gallery, The MET, MOCA & LACMA.