Eanger Irving Couse, American, 1866 - 1936
oil on canvas
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Read Mullan and others, by exchange
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American and Western American
Eanger Irving Couse was one of the founders of the Taos Society of Artists known for his paintings of the Indigenous peoples of New Mexico. This dramatic scene is an unusual subject for the artist with its reference to a specific historical event between the Cayuse Nation and Protestant missionaries. In 1847, an outbreak of measles near present day Walla Walla, Washington caused widespread fatalities among the Cayuse and numerous white setters. In response to these deaths and the growing number of foreign immigrants, a group of Cayuse attacked the mission resulting in the deaths of fourteen people. The blonde woman in this scene is Lorinda Bewley, who survived the attack but was kidnapped by the Cayuse. This clash was a turning point in relations between the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest and white settlers. The American government used the event as part of its justification for reservations and forced removal of American Indians.