Prompt 3

These two paintings by Hicks and West seem very similar upon first glance.  After analyzing both pictures I've developed a better understanding of how these paintings are alike and different and what the artists were trying to achieve with these likenesses and differences.  

Although Hicks and West differed in the side of the portrait that they placed the white men and native americans on, they painted the two groups in a similar relation to each other.  In both pictures the native americans are backed up against one side of the painting.  I think this shows symbolism in that the white men have backed the native americans into a corner.  It suggests that the native americans have exhausted all escape options from signing this treaty but at last are left with no other choice.  In both portraits there is a white man with his arms out to create a boundary for the other white men in the picture to keep them from getting to close to the treaty that is at hand.  However the native americans are very much crowded around what's going on in the center of attention.  This could show that the white men have more respect and are acting more proper whereas the indians are curious and have no understanding of etiquette.  More importantly I feel that this shows that the white men understand that they are going to gain many advantages through cheating the native americans in this agreement and don't want to do anything to mess it up by getting involved during decision time.  Also the indians have little say in this decision so they are acting curious because they don't have a clue what their fate will be as result.

One difference in these two paintings is the degree of intensity of the statements the artists are attempting to make.  By this I mean that West painted less of a visual statement of his beliefs that Hicks.  Hicks shows the native americans backed up against a tree to further stress his belief that they had their backs against a wall(tree) and were forced into signing the treaty.  Hicks also casts the native americans in a shadow and the white men in the light.  This shows strongly how the native americans had little say or importance in the situation and the white men were in charge.  Also, Hicks paints the agreement happening up on a hill near the woods with the town and ocean down below in the background.  I think Hicks was trying to show through this that the white men were doing this almost in secret because they knew how shameful of an act they were committing.  West on the other hand paints the agreement happening in the middle of town away from the woods in equal amounts of light for both parties.  I believe West was making the same statement as Hicks but also trying to convey a more natural image with less stressing of his beliefs.  He wanted the same thoughts to occur by the viewer, he just did not want to do it so obviously.