Sequoyah

Object Details

Artist

Henry Inman, 28 Oct 1801 - 17 Jan 1846

Copy after

Charles Bird King, 26 Sep 1785 - 18 Mar 1862

Sitter

Sequoyah, c. 1770 - Aug 1843

Exhibition Label

Born Cherokee town of Tuskegee, eastern Tennessee

Sequoyah, the son of a Cherokee woman and a fur trader from Virginia, was a warrior, hunter, and silversmith. For twelve years, he worked to devise a method of writing for the Cherokee language. His syllabary, which ultimately included eighty-six symbols representing each of the language’s syllables, was approved by the Cherokee chiefs in 1825. The system made possible a rapid spread of literacy throughout the Cherokee Nation and the creation of written documents, including a constitution in 1827. The following year, the Cherokee Phoenix, a weekly bilingual newspaper, began publication in New Echota, Georgia.

This portrait of Sequoyah is based on a painting by Charles Bird King, who is best known for his portrayals of Native Americans. The original work, which was commissioned by Superintendent of Indian Affairs Thomas McKenney, was destroyed by the fire that swept through the Smithsonian Castle in early 1865.

Nacido en el pueblo cherokee de Tuskegee, Tennessee

Sequoyah, hijo de una mujer cherokee y un tratante de pieles de Virginia, fue guerrero, cazador y platero. Trabajó 12 años en la creación de un sistema de escritura para la lengua cherokee. Su silabario llegó a incluir 86 símbolos que representaban cada sílaba de dicha lengua y fue aprobado por los jefes cherokees en 1825. El sistema facilitó la rápida alfabetización de la Nación Cherokee y la creación de documentos escritos, incluida una constitución en 1827. Al año siguiente comenzó a publicarse el semanario bilingüe Cherokee Phoenix en Nueva Echota, Georgia.

Este retrato de Sequoyah se basa en una pintura de Charles Bird King, quien se dio a conocer por sus imágenes de nativos americanos. La obra original, encargada por el superintendente de Asuntos Indígenas, Thomas McKenney, fue destruida por el incendio que sufrió el Castillo Smithsonian a inicios de 1865.

Provenance

Geoffrey B. Churchill, Wilbraham, Mass.; purchased 1979 NPG

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

c. 1830

Object number

NPG.79.174

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Painting

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

Stretcher: 76.8 x 64.1 x 2.5cm (30 1/4 x 25 1/4 x 1")

Frame: 89.5 x 77.5 x 8.9cm (35 1/4 x 30 1/2 x 3 1/2")

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Exhibition

2022 Rehang of Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900

On View

NPG, East Gallery 132

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Symbols & Motifs\Medal\Peace medal

Interior

Printed Material\Document

Equipment\Smoking Implements\Pipe\Peace pipe

Home Furnishings\Furniture\Table\Writing table

Equipment\Drafting & Writing Implements\Writing implement\Pen\Quill

Container\Inkwell

Costume\Headgear\Turban

Costume\Robe\Banyan

Sequoyah: Male

Sequoyah: Education and Scholarship\Educator

Sequoyah: Education and Scholarship\Scholar\Linguist

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.79.174

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4ce894233-72bf-4597-9c21-38019888044f