Two Dogs

Two Dogs at the Smithsonian American Art Museum carries a name that is a specific individual's designation within their own community, and Sharp treated his subjects' names with consistent respect within a naming tradition meaningful on its own terms. Each name he recorded was a specific individual's marker of identity, and Sharp's commitment to naming his subjects precisely distinguishes his portrait practice from the anonymising approach of much Western art of the period. The Smithsonian's comprehensive collection of Sharp's work enables scholars to trace his long engagement with individual Native American subjects across decades.

As with his other Smithsonian portraits, Sharp renders this individual with direct tonal modelling and warm pigments suited to his subjects' complexion. The figure is placed against a neutral or landscape background that concentrates attention on the face and individual character without environmental distraction.