Scope and Contents
Circa 490 sheets with pencil drawings, some signed, by Stephen Mopope, circa 1932-1962. Depicted are Indigenous men, women, and children; horses, buffalo, and deer; hunting scenes; dancers (including eagle dancers and ghost dancers); tipis; and musicians. Also present are mural designs. Indigenous peoples depicted include Apache, Pueblo, and Kiowa.
Most drawings are on carbon paper on which Mopope created reverse images on the versos. Many of the drawings are drafts of scenes and figures used in larger works.
Most drawings are on carbon paper on which Mopope created reverse images on the versos. Many of the drawings are drafts of scenes and figures used in larger works.
Dates
- circa 1932-1962
Creator
- Mopope, Stephen, 1898-1974 (Artist)
Language of Materials
Manuscript annotations in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This material is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Stephen Mopope Drawings is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Vanessa Jennings, granddaughter of Stephen Mopope, on the Frederick W. and Carrie S. Beinecke Fund for Western Americana, 2018 and 2019.
Arrangement
Collection retains arrangement in which it was received.
Extent
0.84 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
Circa 490 sheets with pencil drawings, some signed, by Stephen Mopope, circa 1932-1962. Depicted are Indigenous men, women, and children; horses, buffalo, and deer; hunting scenes; dancers (including eagle dancers and ghost dancers); tipis; and musicians. Also present are mural designs. Indigenous peoples depicted include Apache, Pueblo, and Kiowa.
Most drawings are on carbon paper on which Mopope created reverse images on the versos. Many of the drawings are drafts of scenes and figures used in larger works.
Most drawings are on carbon paper on which Mopope created reverse images on the versos. Many of the drawings are drafts of scenes and figures used in larger works.
Biographical / Historical
Stephen Mopope (also known as Qued Koi) (1898-1974), Kiowa painter, dancer, and flute player, was born on the Kiowa Reservation in Indian Territory. His maternal grandfather was Kiowa warrior Appiatan and his great-uncles were ledger artists Silver Horn (Haungooah) and Oheltoint (Ohettoint).
In 1916, Mopope attended St. Patrick's Indian Mission School in Anadarko, Oklahoma. There, he received art instruction under Choctaw nun Sister Olivia Taylor and artist Mrs. Willie Baze Lane. Susan Peters, matron at the Anadarko Agency, promoted the artistic abilities of Mopope and other Kiowa students, introducing them to Oscar B. Jacobson, director of the University of Oklahoma's art department.
Mopope and artists Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Lois Smoky, and Monroe Tsatoke--together known as the Kiowa Six--were instructed by Jacobson and Edith Mahier as part of a special program at the school. The group made its debut into the international fine arts world in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1928 and recieved commissions in the United States in the early 1930s. Mopope's commissions include murals for the United States Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., as well as works sponsored by the Works Progress Administration and the Public Works Administration.
In 1916, Mopope attended St. Patrick's Indian Mission School in Anadarko, Oklahoma. There, he received art instruction under Choctaw nun Sister Olivia Taylor and artist Mrs. Willie Baze Lane. Susan Peters, matron at the Anadarko Agency, promoted the artistic abilities of Mopope and other Kiowa students, introducing them to Oscar B. Jacobson, director of the University of Oklahoma's art department.
Mopope and artists Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Lois Smoky, and Monroe Tsatoke--together known as the Kiowa Six--were instructed by Jacobson and Edith Mahier as part of a special program at the school. The group made its debut into the international fine arts world in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1928 and recieved commissions in the United States in the early 1930s. Mopope's commissions include murals for the United States Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., as well as works sponsored by the Works Progress Administration and the Public Works Administration.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards. For more information, please refer to the Beinecke Manuscript Unit Processing Manual.
Folder titles in this collection have been assigned in accordance with Vanessa Jennings's husband Carl Jennings's organization of the drawings by broad themes and topics of his conception. Folder titles in brackets have been supplied for groupings organized by Jennings but not identified. At the time of acquisition, each sheet was housed in a single folder--during rehousing, up to five sheets were rehoused into a single folder with their original order retained.
These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards. For more information, please refer to the Beinecke Manuscript Unit Processing Manual.
Folder titles in this collection have been assigned in accordance with Vanessa Jennings's husband Carl Jennings's organization of the drawings by broad themes and topics of his conception. Folder titles in brackets have been supplied for groupings organized by Jennings but not identified. At the time of acquisition, each sheet was housed in a single folder--during rehousing, up to five sheets were rehoused into a single folder with their original order retained.
- American bison -- Pictorial works
- Apache Indians -- Pictorial works
- Artists -- Oklahoma -- 20th century
- Drawings (visual works)
- Eagle dance -- Pictorial works
- Ghost dance -- Pictorial works
- Hunting -- Pictorial works
- Indian art -- North America
- Indian artists -- Oklahoma
- Indian dance -- North America -- Pictorial works
- Indians of North America -- Oklahoma
- Indians of North America -- Pictorial works
- Indians of North America -- Portraits
- Kiowa Indians -- Oklahoma
- Kiowa Indians -- Pictorial works
- Kiowa art
- Oklahoma
- Pueblo Indians -- Pictorial works
- Sketches
- Tipis -- Pictorial works
- Title
- Guide to the Stephen Mopope Drawings
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sarah Lerner
- Date
- August 2021
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
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