Terpning: Tribute to the Plains People by Harley Brown

ten by Brown. Th e chapters are dominated by Terpning’s biographical details, with the focus on his time as a professional illustrator and his transition into life as a fulltime fi ne artist. Even though Terpning’s subject matter is largely the Native people of the Great Plains, Brown’s commentary is far more concerned with Terpning’s technique and process as an artist. Stuart Johnson of Settlers West Gallery wrote the introduction, and Apiniokio Peta (Darrell R. Kipp), a member of the Crow tribe and longtime friend of Howard Terpning, penned a foreword. Th roughout the book— in the chapters, the letters from collectors, and the text accompanying each image— contributors make much of Terpning’s commitment to historical research and his desire to paint detailed and “authentic” portraits of Plains Indian life. Th e foreword off ers some insight into Terpning’s relationships with the Crow people and his experiences among them, providing a clear sense of strong bonds between the artist and the community. As a resource to historians, however, the book could have been improved by a deeper exploration of the background and historical research Terpning undertakes and of his connections to the Crow people. Unfortunately, little to no insight is given into these aspects of Terpning’s work, and many questions remain: What kinds of sources does he consult? How does he consider and weigh new perspectives on Plains history? How have his experiences among the Crow people shaped his subject matter? What role does oral tradition play in research? Without such insight, readers might be left with the impression that Terpning is painting scenes and people as they actually happened. Rather, his paintings, as with all artists, are the product of experience, research, and most signifi cantly, imagination. It is important to remember that Terpning: alism, or a commitment to the local, is vital to a comprehensive understanding of American Scene artists, and within this framework Nichols’s art warrants the thoughtful attention it receives, particularly when Guenther compares his regionalism to that of Wood or Rockwell Kent. Future investigation of Nichols might compare his work to his Nebraska regionalist contemporaries Terance Duren or Aaron Pyle or expand the geographic sphere to other American Scene painters who explored agrarian themes such as Joe Jones or Alexandre Hogue.