As seen in the history of art, artists have portrayed the world through the eyes of the beholder. Either the visions of a natural landscape, or perhaps in this case, the Treaty Signing at Medicine Creek Lodge, by Howling Wolf and John Taylor have described this historic day in two different opinions of art. To begin with, critical understanding of John Taylor’s depiction has a representational quality with a wonderful description on how the treaty might have been signed. The form is pencil on paper, with a black and white contrast; Taylor analyzes this event in a rather “mature” fashion encompassing figures that resemble the actual truth with a lifelike feel. In addition, it appears that Taylor has utilized men figures in his work of art, possibly to emphasize role of the “white” male figure set in the mid 1800’s. In comparison, Howling Wolf’s colorful method has recorded the same event utilizing pencil, crayon on ink paper, emphasizing the women all clothed in Native American dresses. From Wolf’s point of view, I can only surmise that he related the women to his piece as a sense of purity and divine.
Again, analyzing Wolf’s piece, he use images that is relatable to describing the event. Using iconology, we can look that the tepees as a symbol of culture for the Native Americans. Also, vibrant color enhances the imagination as do described as symbols of culture color, dress, and the way of life. Yet, Taylor produces the influence as we would picture a gathering in a town hall, or even the signing of the Declaration of Independence hundred years prior. A western interpretation from a western mind set.
To understand each work of art individually, each represent a quality that requires definition. Taylor falls under the heading of representational art as Wolf is influenced by the abstract interpretation of the event long ago. Both possess the same notion of wonder, realism, and how each culture views the world through understanding how their own culture has intergraded with storytelling.
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