John Hauser (1858 to 1918)
John Hauser was born in Cincinnati to a family of German immigrants. His early interest in drawing propelled him to study first at the Ohio Mechanics Institute. Afterwards he studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy, which was the common destination for young art students in Cincinnati to further their education. Finally, he attended the McMicken Art School under the tutelage of Thomas Noble.
As was the case with other Cincinnati artists with a German background, Hauser went abroad in 1880 to study at the Munich Academy of Art under Nicholas Gysis. Later trips to Europe found him in Dusseldorf and also at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Hauser?s education fashioned his style into a highly detailed and realistic manner. After he established a solid background in Europe, he returned to Cincinnati to support himself through teaching at public schools.
Beginning in the 1890s, Hauser became primarily interested in the American Indian as subject matter for his work. In 1891, the artist took a trip to Arizona and New Mexico and was captivated by what he saw in Pueblo communities and reservations in the Southwest. Afterwards he made frequent trips to the West, visiting reservations and familiarizing himself with the Apache, Navajo, Pueblo and Sioux people. He was well-known for his friendliness towards the American Indians, especially the Sioux. His relationship with the Sioux was so intimate that he and his wife were given the adopted names, Straight White Shield and Bring Us Sweets.
Hauser was perhaps more inclined towards realism than his contemporaries in Cincinnati. He meticulously collected artifacts, artworks and photographs for use in his work. His collection was donated to the Cincinnati Art Museum before his death in 1918. He is best remembered for his accurate landscapes and portraits, including famous Indian chiefs of the day like Sitting Bull, Lone Bear, Red Cloud, Spotted Tail and High Horse. His authenticity and detailed depiction of the American Indian made him a valuable artist for historic preservation.
Hauser commonly placed his Indian subjects in the midst of a barren, untouched landscape of the Southwest. In this sense his compositions were similar to the works of fellow Cincinnati artist Henry Farny. The two artists employed a mixture of landscape and Indian subjects to create a balanced work. Such settings created the sense of an Indian people in an environment uncontaminated by the United States’ push West. Both artists sought to reclaim a period of time when Native Americans were free of outside influence.
Information courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions, June 2006