Spaniards Hunting Indians

What it is

This is a black-and-white engraving from 1858 titled 'Spaniards hunting Indians'. The image shows mounted soldiers in helmets and armor with swords, pursuing and attacking Native people in a forest. Dogs attack figures on the ground, some of whom lie fallen, and a Native man at right raises a club. The record does not name the engraver. The print is a later illustration, not a picture made during the expedition.

Why it matters

The engraving was made to illustrate the brutality of the Spanish expedition as described in De Soto's narrative, according to the curator's note. Nineteenth-century printmakers used scenes like this to show conquest as cruelty, and the image reflects the views of its own time as much as the events it shows. It helps students see how the story of De Soto was told and retold.

Look closer

• Who is attacking whom in this scene, and how are the dogs used in the composition?
• How does the artist show the difference between the soldiers and the people they pursue?
• What might a Native account of these events emphasize that this 1858 engraving does not?