John Mix Stanley (1814-1872)

John Mix Stanley painted Jim Shaw, Delaware in 1843 during a peace council between the Texan tribes and eastern tribes, including the Delaware, who had been pushed into Texas. Shaw, considered one of the most fascinating characters on the Texas frontier, played a pivotal role at councils, as he spoke English and a host of Native American languages. The present work is one of only a few Native American portraits by Stanley to survive a devastating fire at the Smithsonian in 1865.