The Battle of Many Names: June 25-26, 1876

Now On View
The Whitney Gallery of Western Art

The battle known variously as Custer's Last Stand, The Battle of Greasy Grass, The Battle of Little Bighorn or The Custer Fight has been an artistic and intellectual challenge to those who have pursued its elusive truths. Regardless of how it is or was identified, the two-day battle between soldiers of the U.S. Army and Lakota (Sioux) and Tsistsistas (Cheyenne) warriors on June 25-26, 1876 near the Little Bighorn River (known as the Greasy Grass River to Native peoples of the Plains) resulted in the death of over 260 Army soldiers and an unknown number of Indian casualties.

The battle has been scrutinized from the moment it ended in an attempt to reconstruct an historically accurate account. Artists, authors and filmmakers have recreated the battle in their respective media, presenting the battle through vastly different viewpoints and interpretations. Representations of the battle often attempt to highlight the victorious, the defeated, heroes and cowards. The purpose of the exhibition The Battle of Many Names: June 25-26, 1876 is not to judge which interpretation of the battle is correct, but to introduce ways in which it was seen and preserved for remembrance.

The exhibition, located within the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, features a large mural-size painting by Washington state artist Allan Mardon. The events of the two-day "Battle of Greasy Grass" near Hardin, Montana unfold in Mardon's artistic reconstruction of historic facts. The artist's unique style is marked by an expressive utilization of stylized figures rendered in rich, intense colors. Mardon studied historical accounts prior to composing the work, and describes the painting as "an artistic, not a literal, representation of the events and movements of troops and is not to scale." His style is influenced by both American Indian hide paintings and ledger art.

Absaroke (Crow) artist Earl Biss used the style of Abstract Expressionism to convey emotional turmoil in his work about a subject that continues to inspire controversy. The painting General Custer in Blue and Green was based on a photograph taken by Matthew Brady on May 23, 1865. As a former student of Fritz Scholder at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, Biss began with the same expressionist style, eventually bringing his own creative interpretation to his painted subjects. Biss also had a personal connection to the subject of Custer from his great-grandfather. His lineage is from the Crow Chief White Man Runs Him who was commissioned to track the Lakota by General George Custer.

Also included are artworks by Fritz Scholder and Edgar Paxson, among others.

Documents from the McCracken Research Library are on view relating to the battle. Including an official copy of the telegram sent by General Terry to the General of the Military Division of Missouri dated June 27, 1896. Also on display is a January 1896 letter to artist Edgar Paxson from Capt. E.S. Godfrey - who became one of Paxson's key informants for his painting Custer's Last Stand. Godrey was with Troop K in Captain Benteen's division of the 7th Cavalry, and observed the aftermath of the battle.

More Information

A selected, annotated bibliography related to the Battle of the Little Bighorn is available.

IMAGES

1. Allan Mardon, (b. 1931). Battle of Greasy Grass,1996. Oil on linen: 76 x 136". Museum Purchase with William E. Weiss Fund & other pending donations.

2. Earl Biss (1947-1998). General Custer in Blue and Green, 1996. Oil on canvas; 39 x 30". Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Israel of Aspen, Colorado.