The Life and Art of Henry H. Cross
Born in the village of Flemingville, New York, Henry Herman Cross was a man of many roles, serving as an American painter, hunter, prospector, and frontiersman. His artistic journey began in his youth in Binghamton, New York, leading him to work for a traveling carnival in St. Anthony, Minnesota, before he traveled to France to study art from 1853 to 1855. During his time in France, he studied under Rosa Bonheur as an apprentice animalier. Upon returning to the United States, he began painting commissioned portraits while working for various circuses, eventually moving to Chicago, Illinois, in 1860.
Cross developed a profound interest in painting many Indigenous American people, particularly the Plains Indians of the Midwestern United States. His deep connection to these cultures was aided by his ability to speak the Sioux language and his knowledge of Plains Indian Sign Language. His subjects included many prominent figures such as:
- Thaóyate Dúta
- Red Shirt
- Chief White Eagle
- Crow Foot
- Arnold Short Bull
- Naiche
- Hook Nose
- Victorio
- Chief Gall
Frontier Subjects and Notable Commissions
Throughout his career, Cross traveled much of the American West and Southwest. His repertoire extended beyond Indigenous portraits to include animals, horse racing, harness racing, and western scenery. He was commissioned by notable figures such as Robert E. Bonner and Cornelius Vanderbilt to paint their horses, and he worked with P. T. Barnum, even helping to secure animals like the elephant Jumbo for Barnum's menagerie. He was a personal friend of Buffalo Bill Cody, who referred to him as "the greatest painter of Indian portraiture of all times."
His diverse list of patrons included:
- Marcus Daly
- Lucky Baldwin
- King Edward VII
- Ulysses S. Grant
- King Kalākaua
- Wild Bill Hickok
- Brigham Young
- Joseph Jefferson
