작품 상세

EDWARD S. CURTIS. Plate 168 Eagle Child - Atsina, 1908. 15.9x10.3" image on 18x11.75" copper photogravure plate. Plate date 1909. From Portfolio 5, The Mandan, Arikira and Atsina, of The North American Indian. Engraved on plate recto: Plate 168 / Eagle Child - Atsina / From Copyright Photograph 1908 by E.S. Curtis / Photogravure John Andrew & Son. Curtis wrote about Eagle Child in Volume 5: "Born in 1862 east of the Little Rockies. He first followed the war-path when twenty years of age, but gained no honors on this occasion. His next experience was in an expedition against the Piegan. Three of the enemy charged a small party of the Atsina and one, singling him out, came so close that when the Piegan shot, the powder burned Eagle Child. Another Atsina shot the Piegan, and Eagle Child counted second coup and took the scalp." To make the photogravure prints from the negative Curtis created a glass positive, that he would edit on and then working with the great photogravure printing companies in Boston, John Andrew & Son that became Suffolk Engraving Company, they made over 2200 copper plates from which the photogravures were to be printed. These plates were then steel faced for small printing runs then refaced, preserving the original image that was etched into the copper plate. Aesthetically they are brilliant shiny copper almost gold like aesthetic objects on which the image glows; they have sold for as much as $700,000. As opposed the edition of approximately 300 photogravures that were made from each plate and open edition chemical prints Curtis made in his studios these are unique photographic object.