Charles Deas and 1840s America

The Denver Art Museum explores the decade-long career of Charles Deas, an important early painter of American Indians and frontier life in the American west, in the first retrospective of the artist's work, opening August 21.

Nearly 45 paintings and works on paper include Deas's most important paintings—some of which have not been publicly displayed for 150 years—which reconstruct the artist's life and career in the 1840s, a period when western imagery held captive the American imagination.

One highlight is Long Jakes, “The Rocky Mountain Man,” Deas’ striking 1844 depiction of a trapper. With this painting, Deas established the mountain man, with his independent life in the wilderness, as a truly iconic American character. The figure is posed in the style of a traditional equestrian portrait of a hero.

"Deas's life has not previously been extensively documented or discussed by scholars," says guest curator Carol Clark. "By researching his life and artistic lineage, we were able to uncover paintings and shed new light on his brief but influential career."

The exhibition will illustrate how the artist helped shape Americans’ understanding of themselves and their country during the pre-Mexican War era.

The Denver Art Museum is the only planned venue for Charles Deas and 1840s America, which will be on view through November 28, 2010.