the collector's folio

Edward Sheriff Curtis Most Popular Paintings

The 25 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one, with the specification and the price of each hand-painted reproduction.

Edition 2026 · 25 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Edward Sheriff Curtis · 1868 – 1952

Hollywood Portrait

1920 · Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles · original 19 x 24 cm

Inspired by his early portraits of Native Americans like Princess Angeline (Kickisomlo)

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 1 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18128 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

The Three Chiefs - Piegan

1900 · Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles

Edward Curtis's "The Three Chiefs - Piegan" captures the spirit of Blackfeet warriors on horseback. Witness a powerful portrait of Native American heritage and artistry from 1900.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 2 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18136 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU45D)

1905

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 3 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18128 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU469)

1926

A captivating vintage black & white portrait by Edward Sheriff Curtis. Explore this Smithsonian masterpiece’s rich detail of Native American culture from 1926.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 4 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

A Zuni Girl

1903 · original 42 x 31 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 5 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$19031 × 42 cm Commission at original size

Untitled (AQU44F)

2013

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 6 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18126 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU45Z)

1928

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 7 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20637 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU467)

1926

Edward Sheriff Curtis’ striking black & white portrait captures a Native American man in formal studio style. Explore this Smithsonian masterpiece's rich detail & cultural significance.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 8 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU46P)

1906

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 9 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18135 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Standing Two Oto

1927 · original 42 x 31 cm

Edward Curtis’ ‘Standing Two Oto’ (1927) is a captivating photogravure portrait of an Oto elder. Explore Native American culture through this stunning, historically significant artwork.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 10 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$19031 × 42 cm Commission at original size

Untitled (AQU479)

1923

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 11 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU46T)

1926

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 12 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

A poignant sepia-toned portrait by Edward Sheriff Curtis captures an elderly Native American woman’s wisdom & resilience. Documenting early photography, this timeless piece evokes history & tradition.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 13 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU443)

1926

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 14 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU453)

1928

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 15 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU46K)

1926

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 16 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18129 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Girl and Jar San Ildefonso

1905 · original 12 x 31 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 17 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU45V)

1928

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 18 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Pipe Stem Oto

1927 · original 42 x 31 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 19 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$19031 × 42 cm Commission at original size

Untitled (AQU44Z)

1926

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 20 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18135 × 29 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU445)

1926

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 21 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU46X)

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 22 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18138 × 26 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU459)

1930

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 23 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$23136 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU465)

1926

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 24 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18127 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Untitled (AQU47B)

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 25 of 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18134 × 29 cm Commission this artwork

The artist

Edward Sheriff Curtis

1868 – 1952

Quick facts

Works on APS87
Movementsdocumentary photography
Typical colorsearthy, dark
Born1868, Whitewater, United States of America
Color intensityvivid
Creative periodsmature period
Died1952
Lifespan84 years

Biography

Early Life and Photographic Beginnings

Born: February 16, 1868, Whitewater, Wisconsin
Parents: Asahel "Johnson" Curtis (Reverend, farmer, Civil War veteran) and Ellen Sheriff.
Siblings: Raphael, Edward, Eva, and Asahel Curtis.
Early hardships due to his father's struggles led the family to relocate to Minnesota.
Left school in the sixth grade but demonstrated an early interest in photography, building his own camera.
Apprenticed as a photographer in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1885.
Moved to Seattle, Washington, in 1887 and established photographic studios, initially partnering with Rasmus Rothi and later Thomas Guptill.

The North American Indian Project

Genesis: Inspired by his early portraits of Native Americans like Princess Angeline (Kickisomlo), Curtis embarked on a monumental project to document the cultures and traditions of Indigenous peoples in the American West.
Funding: Secured $75,000 from J.P. Morgan in 1906 to produce a twenty-volume series with approximately 1,500 photographs. Morgan was promised 25 sets and 500 original prints as repayment.
Scope: The project aimed to capture not just portraits but also ethnographic details of tribal life – traditional clothing, housing, ceremonies, food, recreation, and oral histories. Curtis recorded over 10,000 wax cylinder recordings of Native American languages and music and took more than 40,000 photographic images of over 80 tribes.
Team: Employed a team including William E. Myers (writer), Bill Phillips (logistics), and Frederick Webb Hodge (anthropologist and editor).
Publication: Despite the initial plan for five years, the project spanned over two decades and resulted in 222 complete sets being published.

Curtis's Photographic Style and Techniques

Soft Focus: Curtis employed a soft-focus aesthetic, which was popular at the time, to create images with a dreamlike quality. This style has been both praised for its artistic beauty and criticized for potentially romanticizing or obscuring the realities of Native American life.
Large Format Photography: Used large format cameras to produce high-quality negatives suitable for photogravure printing.
Photogravure Printing: A sophisticated printing technique that allowed for detailed reproduction of photographs, capturing subtle tonal variations and textures.
Staging and Collaboration: While Curtis aimed to document authentic tribal life, some critics argue that his images were staged or influenced by Western artistic conventions. He collaborated with Native American communities, often relying on their knowledge and assistance in recreating traditional scenes.

Legacy and Historical Significance

Preservation of Indigenous Cultures: Curtis's work is invaluable as a historical record of Native American cultures at a time when many traditions were rapidly disappearing due to assimilation policies and westward expansion.
Complex Reception: His legacy has been subject to ongoing debate, with some praising his efforts to document Indigenous peoples while others critique the colonial gaze inherent in his project and the potential for misrepresentation or romanticization.
Influence on Ethnographic Photography: Curtis's ambitious scope and meticulous documentation influenced subsequent generations of ethnographic photographers.
Exhibitions and Recognition: His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Rencontres d’Arles festival in France in 1973.
Death: Died on October 19, 1952.

Beyond Photography: Film and Later Years

Early Motion Pictures: Curtis experimented with motion pictures as early as 1906.
In the Land of the Head Hunters (1914): A feature-length film depicting Kwakiutl life, notable for being one of the first films to feature an all-Native American cast.
Later Career: After the completion of *The North American Indian*, Curtis worked in Hollywood as a portrait photographer and production still photographer.

Questions & Answers

Where are Edward Sheriff Curtis's artworks organized by color?

The Spectral Index page organizes Edward Sheriff Curtis's artworks by color.

Where is Edward Sheriff Curtis from?

Edward Sheriff Curtis was born in United States of America.

How many artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis are available to browse?

You can browse 87 artworks by Edward Sheriff Curtis on the All Artworks page.

By the WahooArt.com Editorial Team Updated Sept. 2, 2026

Collector's quiz

Where was Edward Sheriff Curtis born?
What was the primary focus of Edward Sheriff Curtis's work?
Who provided significant funding for Curtis’s major project, *The North American Indian*?

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