Howard Terpning was born in 1927 in Oak Park, Illinois. He became fascinated with Native American history during family vacations in the West. After the serving in the Marines, he attended school at the Chicago Academy of Fine Art and eventually built a successful career as a commercial artist including movie posters for films. In 1967, he went to Vietnam as a civilian combat artist. While there, he was deeply moved by his contact with the native Vietnamese people that changed his world view. After returning to the U.S. he eventually began painting the lives of Native Americans as perceived before the Indian Wars. He focuses on the lives of the Blackfoot, Crow, Sioux, Comanche, Apache and Cheyenne who roamed the plains prior to the end of the nineteenth century. He has a large collection of artifacts from these tribes that he paints into his scenes that are tributes to the Plains People.
I highly recommend this large exhibit as I found a new appreciation of the beauty and culture of the Native American people. His paintings came alive to me as I gazed at their faces and the beauty of the unspoiled West.
"The Force of Nature Humbles All Men" 2003
The museum writer wrote the following about this first painting you see when you enter the gallery:
"The artist was inspired to create this painting while driving to Glacier National Park..as he and his wife rounded a curve in the road, they came upon a thundering, cascading river of water moving though a narrow gorge..." He took a photo of the scene and back in his studio he began imagining how the Natives may have reacted to this same site. He painted in a relatively flat rock and created the scene above with the men stopped on their journey experiencing the amazing beauty. One can almost hear the mighty roar
and feel the spray of the river on the face and hands.
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A Noble Leader
I have not been to the Autry museuum in years and these photos inspire me to go back. CB did a very successful and fun benefit there so I spent several hours roaming through the museum but I didn't have much of an artist's eye back then. Seeing these paintings through your eyes makes the scenes come alive. (One of these days when we share a glass I will tell you about my encounter with Gene Autry's wife and his sidekick, Pat Butram.) Where are you going next?
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