John Hauser

John Hauser (January 30, 1859 – October 6, 1913) was a painter best known for his portraits of American Indians/Native Americans and depictions of various aspects of Indian life.

The son of German immigrants, he was born in Cincinnati, where he remained for his entire life, with the exception of numerous study trips to Europe and visits to various Native American tribes in the southwest and, perhaps his favorite, the Sioux Pine Ridge Reservation

He received his early education in the Cincinnati public school system, studied drawing at the Ohio Mechanics’ Institute, and in 1873 enrolled in the McMicken Art School, studying under Thomas S. Noble. 1880 marked the first of his European study periods, when he traveled to Munich, where he studied at the Royal Academy of fine Arts. 1880 is also the date of his first documented painting, a portrait of the famed Indian scout and tracker ‘’’Lord Baltimore.’’’ (Cf. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.)

In 1883 he became a member of the Drawing Dept. of the Cincinnati Public Schools, a position he held until he withdrew in 1886 to set sail for Europe, in the company of another Cincinnati artist, Joseph Henry Sharp. The two traveled in Germany and then enrolled in the Royal Academy of Art in Munich in October. Hauser completed this program and then continued his studies in Paris, Dusseldorf, and again in Munich.

Upon his return to Cincinnati, Hauser began to establish his reputation as an artist. In 1890 he became one of the early members of the Cincinnati Art Club. 1891 was a very significant year: it marked his first trip to Arizona and New Mexico and the beginning of his interest in portraying Native Americans in his paintings and his lifelong enchantment with the American Indian and the west. Thereafter he traveled to Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota any and every chance he had through 1908.

On July 8, 1896, he married Minnie Boltz. The marriage was to remain childless. Minnie often traveled with him, and in 1901 John and Minnie became adopted members of the Sioux nation with the names “Straight White Shield” and “Bring Us Sweets,” respectively. John and Minnie Hauser spent considerable time on the Pine Ridge reservation, tenting on the Sioux lands for six months a year between 1901 and 1905. In 1904 the couple built a home in the Clifton area of Cincinnati, naming their house “Pine Ridge,” reflecting their love of and respect for the Sioux.

Hauser painted hundreds of portraits of Native Americans, including Sitting Bull, Little Wound, Bald Face, Red Cloud, and countless others. Contemporary accounts comment on the realistic accuracy reflected in the portraits, and also in his portrayals of scenes from Indian life. He produced numerous paintings that tell a story, including his largest documented canvas, now in the collection of the Cincinnati Public Schools, which depicts the irony of the “Advance of Civilization.”

A new, non-commercial project is underway to produce a catalogue raisonné and a full biography of John Hauser. For further information please see the Web site http://johnhauserproject.com.

References

*The National Cyclopedia of American Biography.’’ Vol. 16. New York: White, 1918. “ Hauser, John.” Pp. 79-80.

*Wright, G. Frederick. ‘’Representative Citizens of Ohio: Memorial—Biographical.’’ Cleveland: Memorial, 1914. “ John Hauser.” Pp. 333-36.

External links

*http://johnhauserproject.com
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Duveneck
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Henry_Sharp

References