The Albuquerque Journal reported on a show of John Jellico’s work in 1938 that “11 portraits . . . and seven pictures of Indians” were included in the exhibition.1 This distinction between portraiture and “Indian pictures” reveals the cultural biases and dehumanizing stereotypes of the period, which are evident in Untitled (Portrait of an Indian). The emphasis on the sitter’s distinctive attire—his red headband and cuff bracelet—combined with the loose handling of his facial features dilutes and obscures the representation of individuality.
