1970s Vintage Oil on Canvas Painting of American Indian Quanah Parker

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A vintage (1977) oil on canvas painting of American Indian Quanah Parker. Artist is Paul Milosevich, born in 1936. Measures … Read more A vintage (1977) oil on canvas painting of American Indian Quanah Parker. Artist is Paul Milosevich, born in 1936. Measures overall 31” x 24” and painting 18” x 24”. Framed in wood with a weathered look. Good condition, no marks or damage; see photos.

Artist: Paul Milosevich was born in 1936 in Trinidad, Colorado, to Croatian parents. He spent formative years in Southern California and Texas. Paul lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I contacted the artist directly who verified the painting and gave his estimate on value.

Quanah Parker (1845 – 1911) Born in 1850, he was the last Chief of the Comanche. Quanah Parker belonged to the last generation of Comanches to follow the traditional nomadic life of their ancestors. After the Civil War, the trickle of white settlers encroaching on tribal land in northern Texas suddenly turned inot a tidal wave. Within a few short years, the great buffalo herds, a source of food and clothing for the Indians from time immemorial, had been hunted to the verge of extinction in an orgy of greed and destruction. The Indians' cherished way of life was being stolen from them.

Quanah Parker was the fiercest and bravest of the Comanches who fought desperately to preserve their culture. He led his warriors on daring and bloody raids against the white settlers and hunters. He resisted to the last, heading a band of Comanches, the Quahadas, after the majority of the tribe had acquiesced to resettlement on a reservation. But even the Comanches—legendary horsemen of the Plains who had held off Spanish and Mexican expansion for two centuries—could not turn back the massive influx of people and weaponry from the East.

Faced with the bitter choice between extermination or compromise, Quanah stepped off the warpath and sat down at the bargaining table. With remarkable skill, the Comanche warrior adapted to the new challenges he faced, learning English and the art of diplomacy. Working to bridge two very different worlds, he fought endlessly to gain a better deal for his people. As the tribe's elder statesman, Quanah lobbied Congress in Washington, D.C., entertained President Teddy Roosevelt and other dignitaries at his home, invested in the railroad, and enjoyed the honor of having a Texas town named after him.

The Last Comanche Chief is a moving portrayal of this famed leader. His story is an inspiring and compelling chapter in the history of Native Americans and of the American West.
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