Francois Bernard (French, b. 1812, active New Orleans 1856-75), "Portrait of Two Chitimacha Indians", oil on panel, signed and dated "1870" lower left, 23 5/8 in. x 15.375in., in a period giltwood frame E35000/45000 Fran_ois Bernard Fran_ois Bernard came to New Orleans in1856 at the invitation of a group of planters and became well known asa portrait painter. It seems that Bernard left New Orleans during the Civil War and traveled throughout Southeast Louisiana where he paintedlocal Indians. The Historic New Orleans Collection has Indian Encampment by Bernard, a loosely painted landscape depicting teepees and small groups of Indians spread under a canopy of trees. While the work is rare in its subject matter, the figures lack clear details enabling historians to identify the tribe. Also notable for its rare depiction of 19th century Louisiana Indians is Alfred Boisseau's Marche d'Indiens de la Louisiana in the collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art. The Indians are also depicted in their natural habitat,walking in the swamp, in a scene from everyday life. Both of these paintings typify how American Indians were depicted by artists throughout the country in the 19th century. Very rarely are Indians idealized in portraiture in a manner consistent with Victorian times. Fran_ois Bernard has beautifully rendered a Chitimacha young woman andboy, their tribe identifiable by the weave of the basket held by the young woman. The Chitimacha tribe is well known for their baskets which are much sought after by collectors. The young boy is depicted with several items identifiable with the material culture of LouisianaIndians, such as the blowgun and darts and the sassafras leaves he holds in his arms. These two figures are depicted with honor and reverence, as persons, rather than as unknown "savages" in an Indian genre scene, as is most encountered with 19th century depictions of American Indians. References: Romance and Reality: American Indians in19th-Century New Orleans, The Historic New Orleans Collection, July 20October 16, 1999. Mahe, John and Rosanne McCaffrey, eds., Encyclopaedia of New Orleans Artists: 1718-1918, The Historic New Orleans Collection, 1987. Wiesendanger, Martin and Margaret, 19th Century Louisiana Painters and Paintings from the Collection of W.E. Groves, Gretna: Pelican Pub. Co., 1971.