Posted in Exhibit Catalogs

1943 Farny Exhibition at the CAM

   August 2, 2025  Leave a Comment on 1943 Farny Exhibition at the CAM

Below is a text version of the original 1943 Farny exhibition held at the Cincinnati Art Museum, interspersed with scans of the original document.

HENRY F. FARNY
AND THE AMERICAN INDIAN

CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM, CINCINNATI, OHIO
MARCH 2 THROUGH APRIL 4, 1943

Henry F. Farny was born July 15, 1847 in Ribeauville, Alsace. His father, an ardent Republican, had to flee the country when the second Empire was established by Napoleon III in December 1852. The elder Farny arrived in the United States in 1853 and settled near Warren, Pennsylvania. Here his son Henry first came in contact with the local Indians, Senecas, a tribe of the Iroquois Nation. In 1859 the family arrived in Cincinnati. When the father died in 1863, his son was obliged to leave Woodward High School and go to work. He had always been interested in drawing and now sought any type of work that had to do with his favorite avocation. Cincinnati had an active group of artists among whom the young enthusiast must have made many friends. We are told that his first remunerative work was the decorating of water coolers. Later he designed for engravers and lithographers and did illustrations for Harper’s during the Civil War.

The year 1867 found him in New York. Then came a visit to Europe. In Rome he was a friend of Regnault and became identified with the colony of French artists in that city. A few months later he appeared in Dusseldorf as a pupil of Munkacsy. However, the young Farny never remained long with any one teacher. For three years he wandered about Europe, supporting himself with any work he could find. When he returned to the United States in 1870, he was unable to sell his pictures and entered the commercial field. The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce commissioned him to design a cartoon dealing with the pork industry for the Vienna Exposition.

Farny delivered the design to Vienna and then went to Munich where be studied with Professor Diez and saw much of Duveneck. The much-traveled artist returned to Cincinnati in 1876 and made it his permanent home.

Note the Missouri River trip did not happen in 1878, as commonly reported. This stemmed from an erroneous obituary following Farny’s death.

With the journalist, George Smally, he made a thousand-mile canoe trip down the Missouri River in 1878. His note books were filled with sketches dealing with the Indian and his way of life. Much of this material first reached the public as magazine and newspaper illustrations. Farny frequently returned to the west. An important trip was made in 1885 at the completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad. General Nelson A. Miles was in the party with him. When he returned to Cincinnati, he studied his sketch books and began to produce the pictures which soon gained such popularity that a client was sometimes obliged to wait years until his picture was finished.

Farny’s spirit was in many ways akin to that of the Indian. He had courage and loved to roam. Otherwise, how could he have spent three years in Europe wandering from country to country without knowing where his next meal was coming from? He was versatile and could adapt himself to a variety of changing circumstances. Witness his decision to enter the commercial field on his return from Europe when there was no market for his paintings. He had enthusiasm and when he had found his medium, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the delineation of the American Indian. His thorough training in the art traditions of Dusseldorf and Munich prepared him to apply the principles of design and color to his favorite Indian theme.

The life of Indian men and women is represented realistically in his work. Added to this are the poetry of the desert and snow-covered mountains, the strong romance of primitive warfare, and the dignity of a race which persevered in its way of life in the midst of alien conquerors. Theodore Roosevelt truly said of Farny: “The nation owes you a great debt. It does not realize now, but it will someday. You are preserving for future generations phases of American history that are rapidly passing away.” Farny died December 23, 1916.

The generosity of Cincinnati collectors has made the exhibition of Farny’s paintings possible. On behalf of the President and Trustees of the Cincinnati Art Museum, I take this opportunity to thank them for their kindness in lending us their pictures. We are also indebted to the following clubs which have lent paintings by Farny: The Queen City Club, The University Club, and The Cincinnati Club. Mr. Rudolph Wurlitzer has been most helpful in furnishing accurate data concerning the artist’s life and with advice regarding the location of many of the pictures.

WALTER H. SIPLE

NOTE: Owing to the fact that the pictures were already framed, it is not convenient to give dimensions in the catalogue; however, the signature and date are given under each title whenever they appear on the pictures.

OIL PAINTINGS:

Lent by Mr. Frank C. Adams

  1. THE SIGN OF PEACE
    H. F. FARNY 1908

Lent by Mr. Karen Anderson

  1. MR. “‘B”*
    H. F. F. 1902

Gift of Mrs. Henrietta Billing

  1. RENEGADE APACHES
    FARNY 1892

Lent by the Cincinonti Club

  1. THE WHITE MAN’S TRAIL
    H. F. FARNY 1905

Lent by Mrs. George D. Eustis

  1. TRAIL OVER THE PASS
    H. F. FARNY 1910
  2. ON BUFFALO RANGE • RETURN
    OF THE SCOUTS
    H. F. FARNY 1913

Gift of M. F. Force

  1. THE SILENT GUEST
    HF 1878

Lent by Mrs. Louis J. Hauck

  1. FIGHTING ELK
    H. F. FARNY 1902
  2. THE HAPPY DAYS OF LONG AGO
    H. F. FARNY 1912

Lent by Edward Foote Hinkle

  1. TOILERS OF THE PLAINS
    H. F. FARNY 1882

Lent by Mrs. Graham P. Hunt

  1. IN DAYS OF PEACE
    H.F. FARNY 1896

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. William A. Julian

  1. CROSSING THE DIVIDE
    H. F. FARNY 1907
  2. INDIAN CAMP
    H. FARNY 1890

Lent by Mrs. Harry Levy

  1. LE SIGNE DE PAIX
    H. F. FARNY 1905
    INSCRISED: L. DE. GISBERTS DE.SON. AMI

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Leyman
15 FORDING THE STREAM
H. F. FARNY 1905

16 THE TRUCE
H. F. FARNY 1887

17 THE OLD MEDICINE MAN
H. F. FARNY 1904
Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Leyman Jr.

18 THE DAY IS DONE
H. F. FARNY 1911

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Harold W. Nichols
19 THE SORCERER
H. F. FARNY 1903

Lent by Mrs. William Cooper Procter
20 DANGEROUS GROUND
H. F. FARNY 1902

Lent by the Queen City Club
21 THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW
H. F. FARNY 1895

Lent by Mr. George A. Rentschler

  1. LA FIN D’UNE RACE
    H. F. FARNY 1881
  2. ON THE HOME TRAIL
    H. F. FARNY 1909
  3. PERE MAROUETTE
    H. F. FARNY 1910
  4. THE THUNDER HORSE (Unfinished)
  5. WOOD, WATER AND GRASS
    H. F. FARNY 1902

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. A. Clifford Shinkle

  1. DANGER
    H. F. FARNY CIN. 88

Lent by Mr. Hulbert Taft

  1. THE STOLEN HERD
    H. F. FARNY 1909

Lent by the Taft Museum

  1. SONG OF THE TALKING WIRE
    H. F. FARNY 1904

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Tietig III

  1. THE BUFFALO TRAIL OVER THE DIVIDE
    FARNY 1914

Lent by the University Club

  1. ROUNDED UP. BY G-D!
    H. F. FARNY 1905

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Williams
32.DAYS GONE BY
H. F. FARNY 1904

  1. INDIAN WITH TOMAHAWK
    H. F. FARNY 1899
  2. PEACE
    H. F. FARNY 1904
    Lent by Mrs. Robert D. Willison
  3. THE BOY’S BREAKFAST
    H. F. FARNY 1904

Lent by Mrs. Howard E. Wurlitzer

  1. STUDY FOR “PERE MARQUETTE”‘
    FARNY 1910

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph H. Wurlitzer

  1. DAWN OF A NEW DAY
    H. F. F. 1906
  2. FATHER JOGUES
    H. F. F. 1909
  3. LA SALLE AT THE FALLS OF THE
    OHIO
  4. PORTRAIT OF HENRY F. FARNY
    BY FRANK DUVENECK

WATER COLOR PAINTINGS:

Lent by Mr. Frank C. Adams
41 SUMMONED BY THE WAR CHIER
H. R. FARNY 1900

  1. INDIAN FAMILY
    FARNY 1901
  2. MIGRATING
    FARNY 1904

Lent by Mr and Mrs. Buckner W. Anderson

  1. THE CHIEF
    H. F. FARNY 95

Lent by Mrs. Samuel Benedict

  1. GERONIMO
    FARNY 1903

Lent by Dr. and Mrs. Mark A. Brown

  1. INDIAN WATER CARRIER
    FARNY 94

Lent by Mr. J. R. Carrathers

  1. A MOKI COURTSHIP
    H. F. FARNY 1908

Lent by Mr. Thomas H. Carrathers III

  1. THE CALL OF THE MOOSE
    FARNY 1904

Lent by Me.and hrs. Albert H, Chatfield, Jr.

  1. CAMPING BY THE STREAM
    FARNY

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Chartes F. Dickson

  1. THE FORD
    FARNY 1903
  2. THE LAST WATCH
    FARNY 1891

Lent by Mr. B. A. Ditmann

  1. RETURNS FROM THE BEAR HUNT
    FARNY 94

Lent by Mr. Walter A. Draper

  1. RETURN FROM THE HUNT
    FARNY 97

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Martin G. Dumler
54 EVENING
H. F. FARNY 98

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Martin H. Dumler

  1. THE BROKEN TWIG
    H. F. FARNY 1902

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Dupuis

  1. THE COWBOY
    FARNY

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Edwards

  1. INDIAN CAMP BY THE STREAM
    H. F. FARNY 99

Lent by Mrs. Harry Eichberg

  1. INDIAN ENCAMPMENT
    FARNY 01

Lent by Mrs. Karl Eilers
59 DRAWING WATER, LAGUNA
FARNY

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Alfred S. Epstein
60 ON THE ALERT
FARNY 1907

Lent by Mrs. George D. Eustis

  1. AFTER THE EVENING MEAL
    H. F. FARNY 1902

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Albert T. Fisher

  1. “TAH-TONKAH-IOTAOUE* UNCPAPA SIOUX
    FARNY

Lent by Dr. and Mrs. Henry M. Goodyear

  1. THE OLD BUFFALO TRAIL
    H. F. FARNY 1900

Gift of Alfred T. Goshorn and Eugenia I. Goshorn

  1. APACHE AMBUSH
    FARNY 94

Lent by Mr. James Albert Green

  1. SUPPER ASSURED
    H. F. FARNY 1902

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Edwin F. Guthman

  1. END OF THE DAY
    FARNY 1906

Lent by Mrs. Lloyd Hackwell

  1. GERONIMO
    FARNY 1903

Lent by Miss Mary Hanna

  1. INDIAN CHIEF
    FARNY 90

Gift of Ruth Harrison

  1. INDIAN ENCAMPMENT

Lent by Mr. W. C. Hattersley

  1. A SHORT REST
    H. F. FARNY 1903

Lent by Mr. Ben L. Heidingsfeld

  1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CHIEFS
    H. F. FARNY 96

Lent by Mrs. Emilie L. Heine

  1. A DANGEROUS TRAIL
    FARNY 95

Lent by Dr. Clifford Heisel

  1. HEAD OF AN INDIAN
    FARNY 1907

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Huttenbauer

  1. “TASHKONIY”‘ COMANCHE
    FARNY

Lent by Miss Mary E. Johnston

  1. AMBUSH
    FARNY 97

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. William A. Julian

  1. THE LAST STAND OF THE PATRIARCH
    H. F. FARNY 1906

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Carl H. Krippendorf

  1. INDIAN VILLAGE
    H. F. FARNY 1901

Gift of Fannie Bryce Lehmer

  1. SKETCH FOR “THE RETURN OF THE RAIDERS”
    FARNY

Lent by Mrs. Harry Levy

  1. SIOUX
    FARNY 98

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Leyman

  1. AFTER THE HUNT
    H. F. FARNY 96
  2. AT THE RIVER
    H. F. FARNY 1902
  3. THE FALLEN MONARCH (should be “End of the Monarch” based on the date)
    H. F. FARNY 1898-1900
  4. THE FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE
    H. F. FARNY JULY 15, 1897
  5. HOMEWARD
    FARNY 99

85.HUNT FOR A SUPPER
FARNY 1910

  1. IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY
    FARNY 95
  2. INDIAN ENCAMPMENT
    H. F. FARNY 1901
  3. IN THE PINE WOODS
    FARNY 1900
  4. THE LAST OF THE HERD – FIRST
    SKETCH
    H. F. F. 1905
  5. ON THE ALERT
    FARNY 98
  6. ON THE ALERT
    FARNY 1900
  7. RETURN FROM THE HUNT
    FARNY 1909
  8. STRAIGHTENING THE LOAD
    FARNY 1907
  9. A SIOUX CAMP
    FARNY 1901
  10. THANKSGIVING
    FARNY 93
  11. THE WHITE MAN’S TRAIL
    H. F. F. 1905

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Leyman, Jr.

  1. IN THE BLACK HILLS
    FARNY 1910

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. John T. Lioyd

  1. DESERT SCENE
    FARNY 93

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Martin Low [did not include this in estimate of paintings]

  1. DESIGN FOR A FAN

Lent by the D. B. Meacham Estate

  1. A LUCKY SHOT
    H. F. FARNY 1903

Lent by Miss Emma Mendenhall

  1. INDIAN HUNTER
    
FARNY 99
  2. WINTER MORNING ON THE OHIO
    H. F. FARNY 97
    INSCRIBED: TO LARZ ANDERSON IN
    FRIENDLY REMEMBRANCE

Lent by Mrs. George E. Mills

  1. THE BUCK’S WOOING
    H. F. FARNY 92
  2. INDIAN MAN IN FUR HAT
    
FARNY 1904
  3. INDIAN WOMAN AND PAPOOSE

    FARNY 96

Lent by Mrs. Charles S. Moch

  1. “TAH-TONKAH-IOTAQUE” UNCPAPA SIOUX
    FARNY

Lent by Mrs. Samuel J. Oppenheimer

  1. INDIAN FAMILY
    
FARNY 99

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. Otterbein

  1. THE FORD
    
FARNY 99

Lent by Mrs. William Cooper Procter

  1. THE CAMP OF THE HOSTILES
    H. F. FARNY 1892

Gift of William Procter in Memory of Harley J.
Procter

  1. CHEYENNE CAMP
    H. F. FARNY 1892

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Achilles H. Pugh

  1. THE CHIEF’S TENT
    H. F. FARNY 93
  2. THE VANGUARD
    
FARNY 07

Lent by Mr. George A. Rentschler

  1. THE AMBUSCADE

    FARNY
  2. BIG GAME IN SIGHT
    
FARNY 1902
  3. CONSPIRACY
    
FARNY 95
  4. THE MOOSE HORN

    FARNY 1906
  5. PASTURES NEW
    H. F. FARNY 96
  6. SOMETHING STIRRING

    FARNY 99

Lent by Mrs. Griffith L. Resor

  1. THE FRONTIER LETTER CARRIER OR
THE PONY EXPRESS
    
FARNY 89
  2. RETURN FROM THE HUNT
    H. F. FARNY 1901

Lent by Mr. Alphonse G. Riesenberg

  1. STALKING PREY
    
FARNY 1912

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Steele

  1. IN THE BIG HORN COUNTRY
    
FARNY 92

Lent by Mrs. George Prichard Stimson

  1. THE QUEST OF THE MOUNTAIN ELK
    H. F. FARNY 98

Lent by Mr. Hulbert Taft

  1. ARIZONA

H. F. FARNY

  1. LARAMIE CREEK

    FARNY 1907

Lent by Mrs. Benjamin E. Tate

  1. YARNS OF A SUMMER DAY
    H. F. FARNY 94

Gift of Mrs. Benjamin E. Tate and Mr. Julius Fleischmann

  1. THE CAPTIVE

    FARNY 05

Lent by Mr. Charles H. Upson

  1. THE BUFFALO TRAIL
    H. F. FARNY 1903
  2. INDIAN FAMILY ON THE DESERT
    H. F. FARNY 1893

Lent by Captain and Mrs. Nicholas Van Antwerp Jr.

  1. THE HUNTING TRIP
    H. F. FARNY 1889

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Williams

  1. GAME AHEAD
    
FARNY
  2. INDIAN FIRE DANCE
    
FARNY

Lent by Mrs. Robert D. Willison

  1. THE SCOUT

    FARNY 91

Lent by Mr. Harry F. Woods

  1. EDWARD L. ANDERSON ON HIS 
HORSE SILVANA
    
FARNY
  2. HUNTER WITH DOG TEAM
  3. ZUNI WATERING PLACE
    
FARNY 90

Lent by Mrs. Lucien Wulsin, Sr.

  1. RETURN FROM THE HUNT
    
FARNY 1906

Lent by Mrs. Howard E. Wurlitzer

  1. HUNTER AND FAMILY
    
FARNY 1908
  2. HUNTER ON SNOWSHOES (this may just have been A Moment of Suspense?)
    H. F. FARNY 1903
  3. THE RETURN THROUGH THE PASS
    H. F. FARNY 1902
  4. WAITING
    
FARNY 95

Lent by Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph H. Wurlitzer

  1. DEAD DOE
    H. F. FARNY 1902
  2. SEATED INDIAN
    
FARNY 98
  3. THE SOUAW

    FARNY 98

DRAWINGS:

Lent by Dr and Mrs. Mark A. Brown

  1. Euchered (Charcoal)
    H. F. FARNY

Lent by Mr. Albert K. Zimmerman

  1. CUBAN GIRL (Pen and Ink)
    FARNY 98
    INSCRIBED: “MARGARITA BECERRA
    FROM CIENFUEGOS, CUBA
    RECONCENTRADO”
  2. CUBAN BOY (Pen and Ink)
    INSCRIBED: *LUIZ BECERRA FROM
    FROM CIENFUEGOS, CUBA
    RECONCENTRADO “
  3. SEATED INDIAN (Pen and Ink)
    H.F. FARNY 97
Author: deilers
Website

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *