From Palace to Longhouse

Abstract

This essay investigates the transatlantic distribution and reception of John Verelst’s portraits of “The Four Indian Kings,” four Native Americans brought to London by English colonists in 1710 and, once there, treated as visiting royalty. It argues that the imagery of these portraits was shaped by a number of factors, including the unprecedented nature of the commission, the actual status of the men who were called “Indian Kings,” and the imbalance of power between the Iroquois and European powers in North America. The finished portraits possessed a remarkable polyvalency, making them useful as tools of imperial diplomacy, a role they served once mezzotint reproductions were distributed in North America. All of the parties involved read the portraits somewhat differently, depending on their interests and objectives, but ultimately all understood that the portraits visualized the material benefits of upholding—or the consequences of breaking—the alliance established between the Crown and the Iroquois.