“The man/ This man he friend shake hand” (Artist’s inscription, verso)

Like Nº25, this drawing depicts a friendly meeting between a Sioux warrior and a United States cavalryman. The warrior wears a very elaborate feathered headdress with a long feather trailer, a mark of his status as a brave man.

Especially interesting in this drawing is the rendering of the complex bridle shown on the cavalryman's mount. It is very much in contrast to the simple bridle of the warrior's horse.

In the traditional manner, the action here takes place without a ground line and without any indication of landscape. Also, like Nº1 and Nº25, this drawing is unusual in that it depicts enemies shaking hands, a scene not seen in traditional Plains Indian painting.” (p.49)

William S. Wierzbowski and Helen M. Mangelsdorf in Images of a Vanished Life: Plains Indian Drawing from the Collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1985.