How does this artwork elucidate its Description?
In this scene a group of Native American people gather on the ocean shore. All the figures, except for the young children, wear colored headdresses of blue, red, and white feathers with matching skirts of the same material. In the foreground, a mother breast feeds a baby while two other children seek her attention. To the right of her are three men who appear to be conversing. Two of them hold large wooden bows while the third holds a spear topped by an arrowhead and feathers. On the left side of the foreground, a figure stands with a long plant in hand, watching a group gathered under a bare wooden structure. One of them holds a severed human arm up to their mouth in the act of taking a bite of flesh. Opposite this figure is another, who holds on to a different severed limb. A third person is seen looking towards the center of the image at a dismembered hanging body. The body, cut at the torso and hanging from the rafters of the wooden structure, cooks above a blazing fire. None of the figures in the picture are wearing shoes, though most of them have their arms and chests adorned with bands of feathers that match the rest of their attire. In the background are two large ships, complete with masts and sails that sport an emblem. Though none of the Native Americans seem to have noticed these ships, it appears as though they are heading toward them.
In the New York copy, the coloring of the picture bleeds outside the printed lines. The colors are also inconsistent and show variation, being lighter in some areas rather than others. Though distinct, they are not vibrant. This suggests that the coloring may have been done using watercolor.
Native American people