Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PORTRAIT

Date Range From

1940

Date Range To

1960

Materials

CANVAS, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

2.6

Length

46.8

Width

44.5

Description

OIL ON CANVAS. FEATURES THE HEAD OF A NATIVE MAN. MAN HAS BRAIDS IN HIS HAIR AS WELL AS RED FATHERS. HE WEARS A PINKISH WHITE EARRING IN ONE EAR. AROUND HIS NECK IS A PINK BAND WITH A LARGE CIRCULAR, WHITE STONE (OR SHELL) ON THE FRONT. IN BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER IS "TWO GUN". FRAME IS FINISHED WOOD WITH A WHITE FABRIC INSET. BACK OF FRAME HAS A GOLD LABEL THAT READS "STATION STREET GALLERY & FRAME SHOP 1 - 139 STATION STREET DUNCAN, B.C. V9L 1MB 748-3311". THERE IS A WIRE ON BACK FOR HANGING.

Subjects

INDIGENOUS

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

PAINTING WAS PURCHASED BY DONOR IN 1982 OR 1983 FOR $10 IN EDMONTON. DONOR HAD IT HANGING ON HER WALL UNTIL DONATION TO MUSEUM. DONOR WAS DIRECTOR OF THE GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES FROM 1999 TO 2002, AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING THE DEANE-FREEMAN COLLECTION OF MORE THAN 200 KAINAI OBJECTS, HELD BY THE ROYAL ONTARIO AND BRITISH MUSEUMS, TO THE GALT MUSEUM FOR THE ANCESTORS EXHIBIT IN 2002. TWO GUN, NOM DE PLUME FOR PERCY PLAIN WOMAN, WAS BORN IN 1895 (D.1961) AND RAISED ON THE KAINAI RESERVE. WITH A GRADE SEVEN EDUCATION, HE LEFT RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL TO TAKE UP LIFE AS A COW PUNCHER. HE SOON BECAME AN EXPERT RIDER AND BRONC BUSTER AND RODEOED THROUGHOUT THE WEST. PERCY WAS NEARLY 50 BEFORE HE BEGAN TO TAKE A SERIOUS INTEREST IN ART. AS A MIDDLE-AGED MAN HE TOOK A FEW LESSONS AT THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ART. HIS CRAFT WAS PAINTING TRADITIONAL DESIGNS ON TEEPEES. HIS DEPICTIONS OF TRADITIONAL NATIVE LIFE & PORTRAITS OF IMPORTANT BLOOD & BLACKFOOT INDIVIDUALS BECAME WELL KNOWN IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA & MONTANA. HE WAS COMMISSIONED TO PAINT A HISTORY OF THE BLACKFOOT TRIBES ON THE LOBBY WALLS OF THE PRINCE OF WALES HOTEL IN WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK. HE FIRST SOLD HIS PAINTINGS TO A LOCAL RESTAURANT FOR $5.00 BUT AS HE BECAME KNOWN DEMAND FOR HIS WORKS INCREASED. IT WAS ONLY IN THE LATER YEARS OF HIS LIFE THAT HE MADE A LIVING OFF HIS ART. DURING THE 1950'S TWO GUN CONTRACTED TUBERCULOSIS & WAS A PATIENT AT CHARLES CAMSELL HOSPITAL IN EDMONTON FOR FOUR YEARS. HE DIED AT AGE 66 IN CARDSTON HOSPITAL. HE USED THE SYMBOL OF TWO CROSSED OR PARALLEL RIFLES TO ACCOMPANY HIS SIGNATURE IN MANY CASES, AS THE NAME TWO GUN WAS HANDED DOWN BY AN UNCLE, CHEIF EAGLECHILD. HIS NEPHEW WAS GERALD TAILFEATHERS, A WELL-KNOWN CANADIAN NATIVE ARTIST. THE GALT MUSEUM HAS A NUMBER OF TWO GUNS WORKS ON CANVAS & MASONITE IN PERMANENT COLLECTION. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR ADDITIONAL HISTORY. FOR COPIES OF CALGARY AND LETHBRIDGE HERALD NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ON TWO GUN, SEE PERMANENT FILE P20030029000. FOR HARDCOPIES OF THE ARTIST'S DEATH REGISTRATION, MATERIAL DEVELOPED FOR A 1990 EXHIBITION OF HIS WORK, AND CORRESPONDANCE BETWEEN MUSEUM STAFF AND HUGH DEMPSEY REGARDING THE ARTIST, SEE PERMANENT FILE P19640615000.

Catalogue Number

P20030029000

Acquisition Date

2004-01

Collection

Museum

Less detail