Paper

Student Artwork Guide

The Tribal Meeting

Joseph Henry Sharp

Name Class Date
Joseph Henry Sharp, The Tribal Meeting. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Joseph Henry Sharp originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/joseph-henry-sharp/
Artist’s dates
1859 – 1953
Movement
Post-Impressionism Artists who kept the bright colour of Impressionism but pushed shape and feeling further than the eye really sees.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Joseph Henry Sharp died in 1953; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2023.

Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

The Tribal Meeting — Joseph Henry Sharp Part 1 · The artwork

In context

The Tribal Meeting — Joseph Henry Sharp

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1850
  2. 1860
  3. 1870
  4. 1880
  5. 1890
  6. 1900
  7. 1910
  8. 1920
  9. 1930
  10. 1940
  11. 1950

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 94 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Joseph Henry Sharp (1859–1953) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1900 Main working years: 1900–1905 Late works: from 1905

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/joseph-henry-sharp-the-tribal-meeting-9CWKTC-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Espresso #473728

    Catalogued palette

    • #473728
    • #E2C4A2
    • #7E6343
    • #B09772

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Espresso
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Bright How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Joseph Henry Sharp over the last twelve months — 7 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 59.4%1,900 visits
    2. 2 United States of America 21.9%700 visits
    3. 3 Hong Kong 6.2%200 visits
    4. 4 South Korea 3.1%100 visits
    5. 5 Mexico 3.1%100 visits
    6. 6 Singapore 3.1%100 visits
    7. 7 Ukraine 3.1%100 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Joseph Henry Sharp

    1. 1 Wolf Ear, 1900 7.7%300 visits
    2. 2 Quinnah, 1902 7.7%300 visits
    3. 3 Fountain Square Pantomime, 1892 5.1%200 visits
    4. 4 Strong Left Hand, 1900 5.1%200 visits
    5. 5 Quinnah, (painting), 1902 5.1%200 visits
    6. 6 Palo Flechado 5.1%200 visits
    7. 7 Portrait Of Louise Zaring 5.1%200 visits
    8. 8 The Medicine Teepee 5.1%200 visits
    9. 9 Twilight (Hopi Girl), 1896 2.6%100 visits
    10. 10 Little Wolf, 1900 2.6%100 visits
    11. 11 Running Horse, 1897 2.6%100 visits
    12. 12 Chief Spotted Elk, 1905 2.6%100 visits
    13. 13 The Voice of the Great Spirit, 1906 2.6%100 visits
    14. 14 Hand, 1900 2.6%100 visits
    15. 15 Spotted Elk, Chief, 1900 2.6%100 visits
    16. 16 Do Ree Tah, (painting), 1900 2.6%100 visits
    17. 17 Hunting song 2.6%100 visits
    18. 18 Rabbit hunt, taos valley 2.6%100 visits
    19. 19 Wolf Ear, (painting), 1900 2.6%100 visits
    20. — The Tribal Meeting this painting 0.0%0 visits

    Together these works take 74.6% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 94 works by this artist, of which 29 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

    The Tribal Meeting — Joseph Henry Sharp Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Joseph Henry Sharp

    Born in Bridgeport, United States of America

    Early Life and Background

    Born: September 27, 1859, Bridgeport, Ohio

    Died: August 29, 1953

    Parents: Irish immigrant parents; father was a merchant.

    Early Fascination: Developed a strong interest in American Indians from a young age.

    Hearing Loss: Nearly drowned as a boy, resulting in permanent hearing loss which significantly impacted his education and communication. He learned to read lips and carried a writing pad.

    Early Work: Worked in a nail factory at the age of 12 to support his family after his father's death.

    Education and Artistic Training

    McMicken School of Design, Cincinnati: Briefly attended before financial constraints forced him to leave school.

    European Studies (1881-1886): Traveled to Europe where he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium.

    Return to Cincinnati & Mentorship: Returned to Cincinnati and worked alongside Henry Farny, though Farny discouraged painting Native Americans.

    Royal Academy of Munich: Studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Munich) and later with Frank Duveneck in Italy.

    Académie Julian, Paris: Furthered his studies at the Académie Julian in Paris, influenced by Barbizon painters and Impressionists.

    Artistic Style and Subject Matter

    Realism & Portraiture: Known for realistic portrayals of American Indians, focusing on their cultural life and individual characteristics.

    Influences: Influenced by the Barbizon school and Impressionism, evident in his use of light and shadow and broad brushstrokes.

    Key Subjects: Primarily painted portraits of Native American warriors, chiefs, and everyday people, as well as Western landscapes.

    Commissioned Work: Received a significant commission from President Theodore Roosevelt to paint 200 portraits of Native American warriors who survived the Battle of Little Bighorn.

    Absarokee Hut: Built a cabin (Absarokee Hut) on Crow Agency land in Montana, allowing him extended time to study and depict Native American life.

    Major Achievements and Recognition

    Taos Society of Artists Founding Member: A founding member of the Taos Society of Artists, considered its "spiritual father."

    Smithsonian Institution Acquisition: The Smithsonian Institution purchased eleven of his portraits in 1901.

    Phoebe Hearst Patronage: Received significant support from Phoebe Hearst, who acquired over 150 of his works.

    Thomas Gilcrease Collection: A large portion of his work and personal collection were purchased by Thomas Gilcrease, now housed at the Gilcrease Institute.

    Recognition for Ethnographic Value: Recognized by curator W.H. Holmes for the accuracy with which he portrayed Native American physiognomy and costumes.

    Historical Significance

    Documenting Native American Culture: Sharp's work provides valuable documentation of Native American life during a period of significant cultural change and displacement.

    Early Western Artist in Taos: One of the earliest European-American artists to establish a presence in Taos, New Mexico, contributing to its artistic development.

    Influence on Southwestern Art: His focus on Native American subjects helped shape the direction of Southwestern art and influenced subsequent generations of artists.

    Preservation of Portraiture: Created a significant body of portraiture that captures the likenesses and dignity of individuals from various Native American tribes, preserving their memory for posterity.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for The Tribal Meeting

    originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/joseph-henry-sharp-the-tribal-meeting-9CWKTC-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Sharp, Joseph Henry. The Tribal Meeting. n.d., https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/joseph-henry-sharp-the-tribal-meeting-9CWKTC-en/
    APA
    Sharp, Joseph Henry (n.d.). The Tribal Meeting [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/joseph-henry-sharp-the-tribal-meeting-9CWKTC-en/
    Chicago
    Joseph Henry Sharp. The Tribal Meeting. n.d. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/joseph-henry-sharp-the-tribal-meeting-9CWKTC-en/
    Harvard
    Sharp, Joseph Henry (n.d.) The Tribal Meeting. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/joseph-henry-sharp-the-tribal-meeting-9CWKTC-en/

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

    The Tribal Meeting — Joseph Henry Sharp Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    The Tribal Meeting — Joseph Henry Sharp

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. How many faces can you find? ____ (our catalogue counts 4 — do you agree?)
    4. Our catalogue files this work under: native american, rural scene, conversation. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    5. Look back at Wolf Ear (1900), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

    The Tribal Meeting — Joseph Henry Sharp Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    Can I see "The Tribal Meeting" by Joseph Henry Sharp on my own wall before buying?

    "The Tribal Meeting" has an augmented reality preview: the artwork's AR Preview page shows it in your own space on a compatible device.

    What is the color identity of "The Tribal Meeting" by Joseph Henry Sharp?

    The color identity of "The Tribal Meeting" by Joseph Henry Sharp: an earthy palette, dominated by espresso (#473728).

    How does "The Tribal Meeting" balance light and dark?

    "The Tribal Meeting" is bright overall, and its luminance is gentle luminance.