Divination (De Cost Smith, 1906)

Technique and Artistic Style

In Divination, De Cost Smith employs an illustrative yet painterly approach to capture a moment of quiet ritual. The medium, likely oil or gouache on a flat surface, relies on a monochromatic palette of gray, black, and white to establish its somber atmosphere. Visible brushstrokes provide a tactile quality, adding texture to the skin, the fur, and the heavy folds of the cloth. Every line serves a purpose, defining the intricate details of the headdress and the specific textures of the figure's clothing.

The composition is built upon a foundation of organic shapes. The rounded form of the drum sits in contrast to the sharp, angular patterns decorating the leggings. Light enters the scene from a single source, striking the face and upper body to pull the subject from the darkness. This dramatic lighting casts deep shadows that create a sense of profound depth and mystery within the dim interior. The perspective remains at eye-level, placing the viewer directly into the intimate, shadowed space of the ritual.

Where to See This Work Today

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, holds this specific painting, Divination. It rests within their vast, encyclopedic collection, a single point of light among thousands of others. The canvas remains a quiet presence in the halls of the museum.

Beyond this single work, the physical remnants of a life spent documenting the American West are scattered across several significant institutions. His personal collection of artifacts, gathered through years of travel and study, has found a permanent home within the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian collection. These objects remain as tangible traces of the cultures he observed. His personal papers are kept at Cornell University, preserved in the quiet archives of academic study.

The traces of his presence are held in these various repositories. A shadow of his life remains in the archives.