The Last Drop (from McGuire Scrapbook)

Emanuel Leutze

Date unknown · Iron gall ink and graphite on thin green wove letterpress paper · The American Wing

Leutze is best known for his large-scale history paintings such as "Washington Crossing the Delaware". He was interested in American Indian subjects throughout his career, and in this sketch he imagines a lone figure drinking from a forest pond. The Indian’s pose recalls the Hellenistic sculpture known as the "Dying Gaul" (Museo Capitolino, Rome). This classical reference reinforces the impression of the contemplative Indian as a “noble savage,” a popular Romantic concept during the mid-nineteenth century.

Artist

Emanuel Leutze

Date

Date unknown

Medium

Iron gall ink and graphite on thin green wove letterpress paper

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of James C. McGuire, 1926