“Custer’s Last Fight” by Carl Sweezy [SOLD]

Carl Sweezy: A Plains Artist's View of "Custer's Last Fight"

This remarkably dynamic painting by influential Plains artist Carl Sweezy (Arapaho, 1873-1953) presents a powerful, reduced-scale version of the famously vast scene: "Custer's Last Fight." Executed in gouache on canvas, this work powerfully highlights the reality and significance of the battle from a Native perspective.

The pace of the scene is immediately obvious, conveying a sweeping, rustic excitement. Tribal members, dressed in their finest regalia, are shown in full action on horseback, engaging the running soldiers with their arrows. The central figure — the soldier identified beneath his horse as Custer — stands out, clutching the American flag.

Sweezy masterfully deviates from the early ledger art style by abandoning the flat, empty background. Instead, he adds picturesque rolling hills, a big sky, and dramatic clouds, immersing the intense action within a vibrant natural landscape. The use of expressive colors adds an exceptional vibrancy that brings the historical moment to life.

Likely dating to the 1920s or 1930s, this older work was recently acquired as a rolled-up canvas. It has now been professionally conserved and affixed to the matboard, showcasing the full canvas. Due to its age and journey, the piece exhibits some weathering and patina, which many feel only enhances the folksiness and historical authenticity of the work.

The painting is signed by Sweezy in the lower right-hand corner and set in a simple brown wooden frame, ready to be enjoyed.

Carl Sweezy (1879-1953) Wattan was a talented and influential Arapaho painter and ledger artist. Born in 1879 on the old Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation in Oklahoma, his father was Hinan Ba Seth (Big Man) and his mother, sadly, died when he was very young.  Sweezy attended Mennonite Mission Schools in Oklahoma and Kansas, as well as Chilocco and Carlisle Indian Schools. Also known as "Waatina", Sweezy's Indian name was Wattan, or "Black". Plains ledger art, which was flourishing during his early life, informed Sweezy's style. Although he occasionally created ledger art himself and painted portraits, he is best known today for his excellent watercolor paintings. Sweezy's long list of notable exhibitions includes the American Indian Exposition, Philbrook Arts Center, and the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonials in Gallup. His works are featured in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, Chicago Natural History Museum, Gilcrease Institute, Museum of the American Indian, and University of Oklahoma.  Sweezy passed away on May 28, 1953 in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Condition: very good for its age

Provenance: this original painting "Custer's Last Fight" by Carl Sweezy is from the collection of a client of Adobe Gallery

Reference: American Indian Painters: A Biographical Directory, Jeanne Snodgrass

TAGS: Cheyenne-Arapaho, Native American Paintings