Indian Girl, or The Dawn of Christianity

Erastus Dow Palmer

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In a letter to his patron Hamilton Fish, Palmer outlined the symbolic program for The Indian Girl, or The Dawn of Christianity: "A young Indian Maiden wandering listlessly in her native forest gathering bird-plumes finds a crucifix, which impressive emblem she, seeing for the first time, gazes upon with wonder and compassion." Palmer directed the seminude girl’s attention toward the found object, which she cradles in her elevated right hand. Her left hand, holding the forgotten feathers, rests limply at her side. The statue reflects the colonizing viewpoint that Indigenous conversion to Christianity promoted broader assimilation to Euro-American cultural practices. Read a Native Perspective on this work.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art