Bertha Cunningham is a Western Manitoban artist who has studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts several summers and has painted in Winnipeg for periods under the guidance of members of the School of Fine Art. She paints mainly landscapes. (1969 inventory)
Dimensions
49.5 X 60.5 cm
Size Overall
63 X 73 cm
Medium
oil
Condition
Brown accretion marks on left frame arm, as well as mild brown accretion mark in TL corner of frame.
This man was a shirt wearer and a medicine man. The scalp locks upon his shirt testify to his prowess as a warrior; the arrangement of his hair serves as a symbol of his sacred office as a tribal leader and medicine man. (Harbaugh, P., 1982).
Accretion marks in BM and BR corner. Black transfer marks in areas RM, LM and TL. Color transfer mark to area LM, although it may be inherent to picture.
Numerous creases throughout piece, most especially along top edge, probably due to being rolled up in storage. Large area of pencil smudge in BR corner.
Yellow stain in TR corner of mat. Light yellow discoloration running down the complete left edge of the picture, alongside the mat edge. Very light discoloration (apparent graphite mark) along top horizontal register.
Young-Man-Afraid-of-his-Horses 'Tasunka Kokipapi' (c.. 1830-1900). Although the hereditary Oglalachief, Man-Afraid yielded his tribal authority to Red Cloud amid the turbulent years when the Sioux and Cheyenne openly opposed the Boreman Trail and succeeded in their struggle to drive the army from Sioux hunting grounds within the Powder River country. He led his people on the warpath throughout the Red Cloud War and during his later years was president of the Pine Ridge Council and represented the Oglala in Washington on several occasions. (Harbaugh, P., 1982)