The Attack on an Emigrant Train / Charles Ferdinand Wimar
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1895.80
- Title
- The Attack on an Emigrant Train
- Artist
- Charles Ferdinand Wimar
- Artist Nationality
- American
- Artist Life Dates
- 1828-1862
- Medium and Support
- oil on canvas
- Object Creation Date
- 1856
- Object Creation Place
- North and Central America (continent)
- United States (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- North and Central America (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- United States (nation)
- Credit Line
- Bequest of Henry C. Lewis
- Inscription
- Inscribed l.r.: Charles Wimar Düss 1856
- Dimensions
- 139.9 cm x 200.8 cm (55 1/16 in. x 79 1/16 in.)
- Century
- 19th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Painting
- Primary Object Type
- genre
- Physical Description
- The painting depicts a group of American settlers attempting to defend themselves against attack by a band of Native Americans. A covered wagon pulled by two horses is at the center of the composition; at left, two Native Americans attack the wagon with war clubs and tomahawks; a figure on the lead horse points a pistol directly at the head of one of his attackers, while a figure at the rear of the wagon shoots another attacker. At right other warriors on horseback ride past the train shooting arrows and wielding tomahawks.
- Subject Matter
- “The Attack on an Emigrant Train” was inspired by the writing of Gabriel Ferry, a contemporary French chronicler of the Gold Rush, and depicts a caravan of American pioneer gold-diggers crossing a prairie, defending themselves against attack by a band of Native Americans. Wimar portrays the Native American as a foe who symbolized hostility and was an obstruction in the path of American progress and territorial expansion.
- Primary Keywords
- american
- arrows
- axe
- axes (weapons)
- battle
- battles
- bows (weapons)
- caravans
- fighting
- horses
- native american
- pioneers
- prairies
- rifle
- rifles (long guns)
- small arms
- sunset
- tomahawks (weapons)
- united states
- wagons
- Secondary Keywords
- american regions
- americas
- animals
- animals and creatures
- armed conflicts
- associated concepts
- atmospheric effects
- buildings and the land
- cargo vehicles
- cargo vehicles by form
- cutting equipment
- cutting tools
- earth sciences concepts
- edged weapons
- equipment
- equipment by process
- events
- fights
- firearms
- freewheeled vehicles
- freewheeled vehicles by form or function
- grassland
- how we live
- land vehicles
- land vehicles by form
- landscapes (environments)
- locality
- long guns
- mammals
- natural landscapes
- north & central america
- north american
- objects
- objects we use
- passenger vehicles
- people
- people (agents)
- people and culture
- people by activity
- physical activities
- physical activities by general context
- physical sciences concepts
- plant communities
- projectile launchers with nonexplosive propellant
- projectile weapons
- projectile weapons with explosive propellant
- projectile weapons with nonexplosive propellant
- projectiles with nonexplosive propellant
- scientific concepts
- settlements and landscapes
- small arms by form
- styles and periods
- styles and periods by region
- the americas
- the natural world
- tools and equipment
- transportation vehicles
- vegetation and vegetation components
- vegetation components
- vehicles
- war
- weaponry
- weapons
- weapons and ammunition
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 1403 x 967
- File Size
- 181 KB
- Record
- 1895.80
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1895.80/1895.80.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
- In public portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1895.80:1895.80.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"The Attack on an Emigrant Train; Charles Ferdinand Wimar." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1895.80/1895.80.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 23, 2024.