Carl Sweezy “A Warrior” Painting

This painting is an authentic work by Carl Sweezy (Southern Arapaho, 1879-1953), titled "A Warrior" based on the inscription at the bottom right. It depicts a mounted Plains warrior in profile, wearing a feathered war bonnet with trail feathers, a breechcloth, painted hide moccasins, and a brow band. He carries a lance adorned with feathers/fur in his right hand and has a bow case and quiver slung across his back.

The horse is shown in a dynamic motion stride on a plain, unrendered background — a defining characteristic of early Flatstyle/Ledger-derived Plains Style painting. The horse is painted with soft gouache washes and simple, clean black ink outlines.

In the lower right, the artist posted:

By Carl Sweezy

Tribe

Arapaho

A Warrior

Sweezy famously signed his works in this blocky, hand-printed lettering, frequently including his tribal affiliation and the subject title directly under his name.

Sweezy was a pioneer of early 20th-century Native American painting, bridging 19th-century Ledger Art and the "Flatstyle" tradition associated with the Kiowa Six and the Bacone School. His works typically isolate figures against a blank paper background to focus entirely on the precise details of regalia, movement, and tribal traditions. His work is held in major institutions nationwide, including the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and the Philbrook Museum of Art.

Condition: good condition

Provenance: this Carl Sweezy "A Warrior" Painting is from a private Florida collection

Reference: The Biographical Directory of Native American Painters by Patrick Lester

TAGS: Cheyenne-Arapaho, Native American Paintings, Carl Sweezy