L. R. Laffitte Watercolor after Bodmer – “Assiniboine” (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 11D)

$449.75

La Roche Laffitte (French, b. 1943). After Johann Carl Bodmer (Swiss-French, 1809-1893). “Assiniboine Indian” watercolor on silk, n.d. Signed at lower right. A refined and atmospheric watercolor on silk, this work by La Roche Laffitte revisits Johann Carl Bodmer’s celebrated 19th century ethnographic imagery through a contemporary lens. The solitary Assiniboine figure stands poised and dignified, wrapped in layered garments with long dark hair falling across the shoulders, holding a lance adorned with feathers and a shield rendered in muted green and earth tones. The composition retains Bodmer’s quiet sense of presence and cultural specificity while softening the scene into something more introspective and lyrical. In contrast to Bodmer’s original print, which emphasized linear precision, descriptive detail, and documentary clarity, Laffitte’s interpretation favors tonal subtlety and material sensitivity. Size: 21″ W x 31″ H (53.3 cm x 78.7 cm)

The watercolor medium introduces gentle transitions of color and shadow, allowing forms to dissolve slightly into the silk ground. Details such as facial features, fringe, and ornamentation are less sharply defined, replaced by a softer modeling that privileges mood over exactitude. The neutral background further departs from Bodmer’s context-driven compositions, isolating the figure in a timeless, almost meditative space.

This reinterpretation is not a strict reproduction but a thoughtful transformation, shifting Bodmer’s historical record into a modern, painterly meditation on identity and representation. By translating the image into watercolor on silk, Laffitte introduces translucency, fragility, and movement, underscoring the distance between 19th century documentation and contemporary reflection while honoring the enduring power of Bodmer’s original vision.

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; Private collection of a Private Colorado Family

Condition: Very Good. Silk is mounted on paper. Some creases and slight wrinkles, but, otherwise, watercolor is in very good overall condition. Signed at lower right.