A False Scalping Performed by Iowa Tribe Members in Paris

A False Scalping Performed by Iowa Tribe Members in Paris by Eugène Delacroix is a powerful drawing executed in 1845. The work utilizes pen and brown ink on laid paper, a medium that allowed the French artist rapid study and fluid execution, typical of the sketches produced during his involvement with the Romantic movement.

This drawing captures a significant cultural and ethnographic moment: the performance of the Iowa Tribe members who visited Paris in the 1840s. Delacroix, a central figure in the drama-focused art of the era, was deeply interested in subjects related to non-European cultures and intense physical action. The scene depicted is a theatrical demonstration, specifically a staged or "false scalping," performed for the curiosity of European audiences rather than a depiction of actual violence. Delacroix’s rapid technique beautifully conveys the immediacy and tension of the performance, emphasizing the dramatic interaction between the figures and capturing the swift, energetic motion inherent in the spectacle.

Created during the productive period spanning 1826 to 1850, the piece offers valuable insight into the European fascination with North American indigenous groups and the intersection of ethnography and public entertainment in mid-19th century Paris. The dynamism and expressive energy evident in the technique are characteristic of Delacroix’s approach to composition, demonstrating his mastery of draftsmanship. This important work is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Today, scholarly access is often enhanced as high-quality images and related prints of Delacroix’s sketches enter the public domain, allowing broader study of this historical documentation and the drawing A False Scalping Performed by Iowa Tribe Members in Paris.