Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye 1776

Editor: We're looking at "Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye," painted in 1776 by Benjamin West. It's an oil painting and the two figures command immediate attention. I'm really struck by the way their distinct clothing and weapons tell a story. What's your interpretation of this piece? Curator: You know, I often wonder what West was thinking as he composed this…almost like a staged encounter. Note the contrasting figures – Johnson so proper in his British attire, and Karonghyontye…isn’t it interesting how West presents him? Look at how he carefully renders the details of his clothing and adornments. It's a kind of...almost romantic vision of Indigenous people, but romantic through whose eyes? Editor: So you're saying it might be more about the European perspective than a genuine depiction? Curator: Exactly! The "noble savage" trope rears its head again! It reminds me of Rousseau, this idea that indigenous people were somehow purer, closer to nature. But West also includes elements of power – the rifle, the clothing, indicating negotiations and alliance. Editor: The tension is so palpable, now that you mention it. I initially saw just two men, but the painting seems to hint at so much more, this complex negotiation, cultural representation, and West’s view of colonial power, that might feel out of sync today. Curator: Indeed, there’s something deeply unsettling and, at the same time, fascinating about the way West has frozen this moment in time. I wonder how Karonghyontye saw it, and I suppose that’s a perspective that will forever be absent.