Visual Conventions

The artwork from John Taylor of Leslie's Illustrated Gazette depicting the treaty signing at Medicine Creek Lodge in 1869 is much more representative than Howling Wolf's ledger drawing. I would consider Wolf's depiction more abstract. Taylor's interpretation is an example of realism, and the scene is easily recognizable. In Wolf's drawing, the scene is not so easily discernible. The differences lie in the naturalism which Taylor's art clearly articulates. Also, Wolf's drawing appears very two dimensional with no perspective, while the other uses a geometrical perspective to express space. Taylor’s use of this perspective is typical of Western paintings and drawings.  Wolf clearly depicts the landscape by providing an aerial view, and highlights the rivers significance by showing it streaming down the middle of the picture. Taylor chooses to leave the river out completely, which may suggest that Native Americans value the natural environment more than Western society. Taylor also centers the drawing on the white men, and all of the tribes look similar, almost unrecognizable from one another, which may indicate strong ethnocentrism. In Wolf's drawing each of the tribes are clearly displayed, giving significance to every tribe and peoples at the treaty signing. This can be partially attributed to Wolf's iconography. In his drawing, there is a special meaning to each of the visual images displayed that a Western society would not understand. The symbols like the women’s braided hair decorated with red paint, the tipi’s, and the dress of the Native Americans are deeply connected to Wolf’s culture.  Women fill Wolf's drawing whereas they are not even in Taylor's. This obviously shows the difference between the significance of women in each of the societies. It is clear Taylor's painting is from the perspective of a man from Western society, whereas Wolf's seems to be influenced by his visual conventions.