Charles Deas
Encyclopedia
Charles Deas was an American
painter
noted for his oil paintings of Native Americans
and fur trappers of the mid-19th century.
. He attempted, and failed, to obtain an appointment to the United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York
. As a young man, he studied under John Sanderson in Philadelphia, and subsequently embarked upon a career as a painter. The National Academy of Design
in New York soon recognized his work, electing him as an associate member in 1839.
By 1840, he had decided to emulate one of his influences, George Catlin
, and travel westward in the United States. It was during travels through the Wisconsin
Territory that he became a noted painter of trappers and American Indians
. By 1841, Deas decided to establish his base in St. Louis, Missouri
. During this time, Deas would typically spend "a few months among the Indian tribes, familiarizing himself with their manners and customs."
The artist's works are described as expressing "psychological tension, perceived danger, alarm, and flight," epitomized by his painting Death Struggle which depicts an Indian and trapper locked in combat while falling to their deaths from a cliff.
Deas was most famous while he was still alive. One critic, in 1947, stated that the painter was considered to have "enjoyed more of a reputation during his own lifetime" than currently. Between 1841 and 1848, Deas' regularly exhibited his works in St. Louis at the "Mechanics Fairs." He also shipped many of his works, for sale, to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as well as to New York's American Art Union. Deas returned to New York in 1848 and expressed a desire to open a gallery of Indian art. Before he could do this, he was declared legally insane.
On May 23, 1848, Deas was committed to New York's Bloomingdale Asylum
(now occupied by Columbia University
). He was institutionalized for the rest of his life. During this period, his paintings were described as being particularly intense. "One of his wild pictures, representing a black sea, over which a figure hung, suspended from a ring, while from the waves a monster was springing, was so horrible, that a sensitive artist fainted at the sight." Deas died of "apoplexy" (possible stroke) in Bloomingdale Asylum on March 23, 1867.
Deas' maternal grandfather was the 18th century American politician, Ralph Izard
of South Carolina
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
noted for his oil paintings of Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
and fur trappers of the mid-19th century.
Biography
Charles Deas was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. He attempted, and failed, to obtain an appointment to the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. As a young man, he studied under John Sanderson in Philadelphia, and subsequently embarked upon a career as a painter. The National Academy of Design
National Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
in New York soon recognized his work, electing him as an associate member in 1839.
By 1840, he had decided to emulate one of his influences, George Catlin
George Catlin
George Catlin was an American painter, author and traveler who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West.-Early years:...
, and travel westward in the United States. It was during travels through the Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
Territory that he became a noted painter of trappers and American Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. By 1841, Deas decided to establish his base in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. During this time, Deas would typically spend "a few months among the Indian tribes, familiarizing himself with their manners and customs."
The artist's works are described as expressing "psychological tension, perceived danger, alarm, and flight," epitomized by his painting Death Struggle which depicts an Indian and trapper locked in combat while falling to their deaths from a cliff.
Deas was most famous while he was still alive. One critic, in 1947, stated that the painter was considered to have "enjoyed more of a reputation during his own lifetime" than currently. Between 1841 and 1848, Deas' regularly exhibited his works in St. Louis at the "Mechanics Fairs." He also shipped many of his works, for sale, to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as well as to New York's American Art Union. Deas returned to New York in 1848 and expressed a desire to open a gallery of Indian art. Before he could do this, he was declared legally insane.
On May 23, 1848, Deas was committed to New York's Bloomingdale Asylum
Bloomingdale Insane Asylum
The Bloomingdale Insane Asylum was a private hospital for the care of the mentally ill founded by New York Hospital. It occupied the land in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan where Columbia University is now located....
(now occupied by Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
). He was institutionalized for the rest of his life. During this period, his paintings were described as being particularly intense. "One of his wild pictures, representing a black sea, over which a figure hung, suspended from a ring, while from the waves a monster was springing, was so horrible, that a sensitive artist fainted at the sight." Deas died of "apoplexy" (possible stroke) in Bloomingdale Asylum on March 23, 1867.
Deas' maternal grandfather was the 18th century American politician, Ralph Izard
Ralph Izard
Ralph Izard was a U.S. politician. He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate in 1794.-Early life:...
of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
Selected works
- Walking the Chalk (1838), oil on canvas, Houston Museum of Fine Arts
- Turkey Shooting (1838), oil on canvas, Virginia Museum of Fine ArtsVirginia Museum of Fine ArtsThe Virginia Museum of Fine arts, or VMFA, is an art museum in Richmond, Virginia, in the United States, which opened in 1936.The museum is owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia, while private donations, endowments, and funds are used for the support of specific programs and all...
- Self Portrait (1840), graphite on buff wove paper, National AcademyNational Academy of DesignThe National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
- Wa-kon-cha-hi-re-ga (1840), oil on canvas, St. Louis Mercantile LibrarySt. Louis Mercantile LibraryThe St. Louis Mercantile Library, founded in 1846 in St. Louis, Missouri, was originally established as a subscription library, and is the oldest extant library west of the Mississippi River. Since 1998 the library has been housed at the University of Missouri-St. Louis...
- WinnebagoHo-ChunkThe Ho-Chunk, also known as Winnebago, are a tribe of Native Americans, native to what is now Wisconsin and Illinois. There are two federally recognized Ho-Chunk tribes, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska....
with Peace Medal and Red Pipestone (1840), oil on canvas, St. Louis Mercantile LibrarySt. Louis Mercantile LibraryThe St. Louis Mercantile Library, founded in 1846 in St. Louis, Missouri, was originally established as a subscription library, and is the oldest extant library west of the Mississippi River. Since 1998 the library has been housed at the University of Missouri-St. Louis... - Winnebago with Bear-Claw Necklace (1840), oil on canvas, St. Louis Mercantile LibrarySt. Louis Mercantile LibraryThe St. Louis Mercantile Library, founded in 1846 in St. Louis, Missouri, was originally established as a subscription library, and is the oldest extant library west of the Mississippi River. Since 1998 the library has been housed at the University of Missouri-St. Louis...
- Winnebago with Bear-Claw Necklace and Gun-Stock Club (1840), oil on canvas, St. Louis Mercantile LibrarySt. Louis Mercantile LibraryThe St. Louis Mercantile Library, founded in 1846 in St. Louis, Missouri, was originally established as a subscription library, and is the oldest extant library west of the Mississippi River. Since 1998 the library has been housed at the University of Missouri-St. Louis...
- Winnebagos Playing Checkers (1842), private collection
- Devil and Tom Walker, (1843), oil on canvas, private collection
- Long Jakes (1844), oil on canvas, Denver Art MuseumDenver Art MuseumThe Denver Art Museum is an art museum in Denver, Colorado located in Denver's Civic Center.It is known for its collection of American Indian art,and has a comprehensive collection numbering more than 68,000 works from across the world....
- Dragoons Crossing River (1844), private collection
- The Death Struggle (1845), oil on canvas, Shelburne MuseumShelburne MuseumShelburne Museum is a museum of art and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds...
- A Group of SiouxSiouxThe Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
, (1845), oil on canvas, Amon Carter MuseumAmon Carter MuseumThe Amon Carter Museum of American Art is located in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established by Amon G. Carter to house his collection of paintings and sculpture by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Carter’s will provided a museum in Fort Worth devoted to American art.When the museum opened... - The Trapper and His Family, (1845), Boston Museum of Fine Arts
- The Voyageurs, (1846), oil on canvas, Boston Museum of Fine Arts
- Prairie Fire, (1847), oil on canvas, Brooklyn MuseumBrooklyn MuseumThe Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works....
- Indian Warrrior on the Edge of a Precipice (1847)
External links
- Artcyclopedia entry on Charles Deas
- Self portrait of Charles Deas held at the National Academy Museum
- "Artist’s Work, Out of Attics, Goes to Walls of a Museum" Kirk Johnson, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, 24 August 2010 - SIRIS (Smithsonian) listing of Deas paintings