Faces from the Interior: The North American Portraits of Karl Bodmer

A watercolor of an Indigenous man wearing a feathered headdress, body paint, a beaded rope around his neck, and holding a bow and arrow.
October 30, 2022–January 22, 2023
Second floor

Organized by and drawn exclusively from the collection of the Joslyn Art Museum (Omaha, Nebraska), Faces from the Interior features over 60 recently conserved watercolors including portraits of individuals from the Omaha, Ponca, Yankton, Lakota, Mandan, Hidatsa, Assiniboine, and Blackfoot nations. Contemporary Indigenous knowledge bearers, artists, and scholars from the nations that Bodmer and his companion, German prince Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied, visited between 1832 and 1834 have contributed texts and four short films for this exhibition, which together highlight the diverse histories, beliefs, and practices embodied in the portraits.

Explore Faces from the Interior from the comfort of your home with our virtual exhibition experience!

Exhibition Talk: Faces from the Interior

November 10, part of Second Thursdays at the Carter

A screenshot of an Indigenous woman in traditional dress standing in a wood structure looking up at an opening to the sky.

Karl Bodmer

Leader of the Mandan Beróck-Óchatä, 1834

watercolor and graphite on paper

A watercolor of an Indigenous man wearing a bison mask over his face and holding a shield and spear.

Karl Bodmer

Assiniboine and Siksika Blackfoot Girl, 1833

watercolor and graphite on paper

A watercolor of an Indigenous girl wearing a leather dress and turquoise beaded jewelry and adornments.

Karl Bodmer

Péhriska-Rúhpa, Hidatsa Man, 1834

watercolor and graphite on paper

A watercolor of an Indigenous man wearing a feathered headdress, body paint, a beaded rope around his neck, and holding a bow and arrow.

Installation Photos

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Past Events

Adult Workshop: Portrait Painting

Saturday, January 21, 2023, 1–4 p.m.
A detail of a watercolor of an Indigenous man wearing a headband with a single feather, traditional deerskin clothing, and holding an object made or many feathers and ribbons.

Exhibition Talk: Faces from the Interior

Thursday, November 10, 2022, 6–7:30 p.m.
A screenshot of an Indigenous woman in traditional dress standing in a wood structure looking up at an opening to the sky.

Second Thursdays at the Carter: Community & Culture

Thursday, November 10, 2022, 5–8 p.m.
"Second Thursdays at the Carter"

Homeschool at the Carter: Speaking Through Art

Wednesday, November 9, 2022, 10 a.m.–noon
A color photograph of a Native American man in traditional dress on horseback, overlaid onto a beaded cultural object all against a yellow background..

Educator Workshop: Shining a Light on Indigenous Perspectives

Saturday, November 5, 2022, 1–3 p.m.
A color photograph that has images of people in color and sepia that are abstracted because the photograph is made from strips of paper woven in a basket pattern.

Member Preview Days | Faces from the Interior: The North American Portraits of Karl Bodmer

Saturday, October 29, 2022, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
A watercolor of an Indigenous man wearing a feathered headdress, body paint, a beaded rope around his neck, and holding a bow and arrow.

From the Shop

Faces from the Interior: The North American Portraits of Karl Bodmer

The first publication to focus on Bodmer as a portraitist, Faces from the Interior includes essays examining his artistic practice, the international dissemination of his images, and the ongoing significance of his work to Indigenous communities.

Cover of the exhibition catalogue for "Faces from the Interior."
All Exhibitions

Faces from the Interior: The North American Portraits of Karl Bodmer was organized by the Margre H. Durham Center for Western Studies, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska

The Carter’s presentation of Faces from the Interior: The North American Portraits of Karl Bodmer is supported by the Alice L. Walton Foundation Temporary Exhibitions Endowment.

In addition, Faces from the Interior features four short films feature Indigenous knowledge who interpret the portraits and reflect on their relevance and importance in the present-day.