Painting Of Native Americans Now On Display At Montgomery Museum

MONTGOMERY, IL — The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is now home to a 1911 painting that depicts Native Americans during the movement of settlers to the American West during the 19th century.

The painting, titled "Indian Encampment," is by Henry Farny, an American painter born in France, the MMFA said on its website. The museum purchased it through a Gift of the Ida Belle Young Art Acquisition Fund.

The painting, from later in Farny's career, depicts a rugged mountain landscape with small groupings of humans, animals and dwellings. It speaks to the connection of Native Americans to the natural world, the museum said in a news release.

The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is working on acquiring art that better reflects the "breadth of identities and experiences" of River Region residents and visitors, Board Collection Committee Chair Camille Elebash-Hille said in a statement.

Adding "Indian Encampment" to the museum's permanent collection did just that, Board President Cathy Marti said.

"Identifying and acquiring works that help us compose a more relevant and inclusive narrative in our galleries – that’s what we are called and compelled to do," Marti said in a statement. "This work nests within our larger focus on addressing diversity, equity, access, and inclusion issues in concert with the larger museum community."

Farny typically expressed empathy and respect for the Native Americans he met during trips from his Cincinnati home up the Mississippi River and through the West, the news release said.

Many of his works accentuate the importance of community in Native American life and the peaceful coexistence between Native Americans and the natural environment, according to the release.

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