To build an understanding of the lives and culture of past societies, historians use primary sources. Primary sources are objects from the past that provide a window into their time period. Primary sources can be almost anything from their time period: archaeological artifacts, letters, government documents, and artwork.
When European explorers first started coming to Alaska in the 1700s, and early 1800s, a few of these men documented the culture of the Alaska Natives through drawings and paintings. As these artists were encountering Alaska Native cultures at the time of first contact with Europeans, their art provides a unique visual window into traditional Alaskan Native culture.
While theses artists often tried to capture their subject as accurately as possible, their works are not impersonal reproductions of life. Each reflects the individuality of its creator, his personal experiences, and style. And each encompasses the moment of encounter between two very different worlds; their works containing many layers of information both about the subject of artwork and the historical context in which they were created.
In this project, we are going to explore and analyze the work of two of the first artists to document the traditional culture of the Aleut, Alutiiq, and Yupik people. Please take a few minutes to examine all of these interesting works, which are some of the earliest and best representations of Alaskan culture at the time of the coming of Europeans. Afterwards, select two images to analyze in greater depth for the project.
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