Page 39 questions

Given the choice between the two pieces of art on pages 38 and 39, I would have to say that the one on the left by John Taylor is far more representational than the piece on the right by Howling Wolf. John Taylor's piece exists to document the occurrence as it actually physically happened from an objective stand-point, whereas Howling Wolf's depiction does exist to document the event, it also depicts a series of feelings and emotions as well. As you can see, the pilgrims are secluded from the natives as if to portray a wariness from the surrounding tents and people watching the signing occur. Howling Wolf's piece is also obviously far more abstract as it depicts a reality that is not bound by actual reality, rather it is a depiction of feeling.
As far as form goes, you can quite plainly see that Taylor's piece was created with the intent of meticulously depicting the surrounding environment and the people, not to mention it is without color. Wolf's piece looks rather crude in nature, almost childlike, but it does show Wolf was more interested in the way negative space effects positive space and the way color can depict feeling.
The landscape shown in Taylor's piece is highly detailed, whereas Wolf's is simply a line. This stresses that Taylor was far more interested in the aesthetics, and Wolf was more concerned with meaning, but Wolf does not make the mistake of neglecting logistics as he has shown the Medicine Creek which is apparently where this occurred, but I also think that he might have felt that the creek was an important influence on their lives. Taylor doesn't see this at all, and doesn't even include the creek in his depiction, and in fact fails to see the natives in his art as individuals. I would go so far as to say he sees them as unsophisticated in comparison to the pilgrims in the center of the image, but in Wolf's painting the natives are all given specific identity corresponding to their real-life counterparts, and it is the pilgrims who are shown to a centered arrogance that is isolated away from the natives. Wolf also show's that many of the observers in his work are women, but Taylor does not show any women whatsoever. It is quite obvious Taylor feels women do not belong in politics, and Wolf's feelings are also obvious, which is to say he feels like they should be involved in anything affecting the village, as it would have to do with everyone, not just the men.


To those of you who have not seen these images, though I do not want to post the images themselves on this blog, here are links to both of them:

John Taylor's "Treaty Signing at Medicine Creek": http://www4.uwm.edu/letsci/mls/syllabi/702/images/702-1b.jpg

Howling Wolf's "Treaty Signing at Medicine Creek": http://www4.uwm.edu/letsci/mls/syllabi/702/images/702-1c.jpg