“Le Soldat du Chene” by Charles Bird King

“Le Soldat du Chene” by Charles Bird King

C.1986

Colored Lithograph

Rendered in a striking profile perspective, this twentieth-century colored lithograph titled "Le Soldat du Chene" is modeled after an original nineteenth-century life portrait by artist Charles Bird King. The composition features Le Soldat du Chene, an influential Osage chief, facing strictly to the left against a minimal, off-white background. His head is shaved except for a prominent, reddish-brown roach crest running along the crown, which terminates in a long, dark, braided lock trailing down his back. Multiple metallic or shell ornaments pierce his earlobes and cartilage, accentuating his distinct profile. He wears a soft green blanket or tunic draped across his shoulders, topped by a dense, dark fur collar that frames his neck. This austere portrait sits balanced directly above the graceful cursive title typography reading "Le Soldat du Chene".

This composition belongs to a broader American historical record dating back to the federal treaty eras of the 1820s and 1830s, where Indigenous leaders and tribal delegates were visually documented during diplomatic missions to Washington, D.C.. Published in 1986 as part of a modern commemorative edition of the landmark book History of the Indian Tribes of North America by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall, prints like this hold monumental historical importance because they serve as the primary surviving visual record of these pre-Civil War individuals. The original oil portrait archives, including those by Charles Bird King and the Western galleries of John Mix Stanley, were tragically destroyed in the catastrophic 1865 Smithsonian fire. As a result, these meticulously prepared volume reproductions stand as irreplaceable ethnographic artifacts, documenting traditional attire, customs, and political figures from a critical era of Native American history.

Dimensions: H 11 ¾”x 8 ½”W

Condition: In very good condition