Extraordinary Gifts: Selected Paintings from The Procter and Gamble Collection at the Cincinnati Art Museum February 15, 2003 to September 12, 2004 Extraordinary Gifts: Selected Paintings from The Procter and Gamble Collection at the Cincinnati Art Museum Cincinnati Art Museum logo
A Word from P&G - Overview of Extraordinary Gifts: Selected Paintings from The Procter and Gamble Collection at the Cincinnati Art Museum Cincinnati Painters and the Big Picture - discusses how Cincinnati Artists fit into a larger art historical perspective The Works from The P&G Collection - themed galleries of the works in the show Index by Artist Name - a list of all the artists represented in the show and the works they completed Go back to the Cincinnati Art Museum Home page
Joseph Henry Sharp (1859–1953)
Indian Village, ca. 1910
oil on canvas
23 1/2 x 20 in.

Fascinated by the culture of Native Americans, Sharp once said, “We love the Indians. They are so close to nature. …Look where you will in an Indian camp, you see a picture.” In a sense, Sharp took a somewhat nostalgic view of Indian life, but he realized he was witnessing the disappearance of a culture. Living among the Indians in Montana, Sharp watched helplessly as the forces of encroaching Western civilization swept over the Western Territories.

To an eager art market, images such as Indian Village were widely sought. This vividly colored scene shows the warm glow of fires and shadows inside teepees, which were a common sight on the Crow reservation where Sharp lived. The beautiful gold frame is most likely an original; its decorative corner motifs suggest Native design.