Interpreting Historic Art- Battle of Little Bighorn Drawing
(above: Cavalryman at Little Bighorn by Keith W. McNeer c. 2005)
I like to incorporate art into my website whenever possible and feature relevant and significant works of art usually tied to an event, date of birth or death at the bottom of the page. When possible in teaching, I like to present significant artworks to students to explain context and the connection to an event. Students will get pretty excited over technical details of drawings, paintings, etc. when properly motivated especially when engaged to think about and express their own impressions. History does not always have to be just about history to be interesting and informative. In teaching history, the teacher is often under pressure to get through a lot of material and it is tempting to set a quick pace to stay on target. It is important to remember that sometimes it is useful and necessary to take a “deep dive” into something that is not strictly tied to the curriculum.
Today is the anniversary of Custer’s Last Stand, the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876). My uncle Keith McNeer was one of the best artists I have ever known and years ago he gave me a drawing he did of a cavalryman at Little Bighorn which is attached and featured on the website today.
At first glance the drawing appears simple, it is anything but. First, it was drawn in ink so stray lines could not be erased. That said, the lines are drawn loosely, the hand of an artist. This is a lot harder than it sounds. One detail, the right ankle rests on a rock but is not resting flat, the foot is slightly twisted and raised on a rock. Portraying an arm or leg in a sort of awkward position is very difficult and yet Keith made it look so natural it’s hardly noticeable. The knee and foot jut out in 3 dimensions, once again, not easy to do with irregular triangular shapes.
The composition says a lot as well. That rock beneath the right foot for example is not actually drawn. The viewer’s eye fills in the detail but the ankle is so well done, one does not notice that the rock is not there. The background is basically one line with a steep rise on the edge, but that simple detail places the location on the northwestern plains– even the blank space tells the viewer that the ground is flat with few features. Keith hunted in Montana so he knew the terrain and could portray it with one line. The lack of a coat and rolled up sleeves indicate that the weather is warm or hot. The suspenders, cavalry boots and Colt Army or Navy pistol set the time. Connecting the landscape with the trooper’s details easily place him in the post Civil War West without a single written word.
Last, the trooper’s face and pose is revealing if you take some time to study the drawing. He’s tired and worn down resting on a knee, his arm supported by his leg and his hair is disheveled. He’s not in a panic though. This man was an experienced soldier and had been in life threatening situations before. He’s lost his horse, hat, everything but his pistol but is still assessing his options. Or he’s recognized there is nothing left and is deciding what to do next. Even in a monochromatic line drawn picture, the viewer has options in interpreting the work which pulls the viewer into the moment.
The artistry is not just in the details but the simplicity where even the blank spaces become part of the composition. Keith told me he drew this a number of times experimenting with poses, and practicing aspects of the drawing. So by the time he created the final product, there was a spontaneity to it that came from practicing it over and over. Young people, used to instantaneous results, can benefit from seeing how practice and taking one’s time can produce something extraordinary.
Feel free to post any observations, I’d love to hear what you saw.
Dr. McNeer was fond of discussing Custer’s hubris in refusing an offered battery of Gatling guns when he set out for the fateful encounter with the Lakota holy man. What’s interesting to me is that in this frozen moment we’re past the heat of battle, yet at the same time it’s not all over. Defeat seems to be understood at this point, but he’s not in flight and something is still catching his eye… Is he waiting for a chance to escape… or a chance to inflict a last, parting casualty? Or guardedly assessing what has transpired? There’s an indeterminacy… Read more »