Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston (left) unveils a portrait of U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves in the Capitol on Dec. 18, 2024. Thurston is joined by Benjamin Johnson, CEO of the U.S. Marshals Museum, Cory Harris, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Sen. Bryan King and portrait artist James Loveless Jr. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)
Until Wednesday morning, all two dozen portraits displayed in the Arkansas Capitol depicted the state’s former governors, all white men.
A portrait of U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves revealed Wednesday by Secretary of State John Thurston, alongside artist James Loveless Jr. and Cory Harris, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Arkansas, marked the first non-governor and African American represented in such a way in the statehouse.
“This portrait is more than just a work of art,” Harris said. “It is a reminder to all who walk these hallowed halls that our state’s history is rich with stories of individuals, such as Bass, who stood tall for what is right. Let it inspire us to continue building our future rooted in justice, courage and inclusion.”
Reeves (1838-1910) was born into enslavement in Crawford County, but he escaped and became one of the first Black U.S. deputy marshals west of the Mississippi River. He is known as one of the most prolific U.S. deputy marshals of the 1800s and has been the subject of several modern movies and television series.
Historic reports say that Reeves could shoot a pistol or rifle accurately with either hand and was considered one of the most respected lawmen in Indian Territory, now present-day Oklahoma. The area was one of the most dangerous areas for federal officers in the Old West at the time, and Reeves arrested more than 3,000 criminals during his service.
In addition to serving as a U.S. marshal, Reeves also served as a police officer in Muskogee, Oklahoma, until his death.
Thurston said he thought it was important to have a portrait of a “legendary individual” in law enforcement displayed in the Capitol to encourage the younger generation.
The idea for the portrait stemmed from a 2017 resolution that Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, filed to recognize Reeve’s contributions to law enforcement. When King returned to the Legislature in 2023, he said he talked with Thurston about commemorating Reeves with a portrait in the Capitol.
Reeves is also portrayed on horseback at the Ross Pendergraft Park in Fort Smith. The town is also home to the U.S. Marshals Museum, which opened last year.
Benjamin Johnson, president and CEO of the museum, said Wednesday it was “ a shame” he didn’t know about Reeves’ history until moving to Arkansas.
“[The portrait] is a great step in ensuring that everybody across the country and hopefully around the world gets to know the man Bass Reeves,” Johnson said.
Borrowed materials from the U.S. Marshals Museum were displayed in cases around the portrait on Wednesday. While Thurston said the portrait will remain on display “until somebody decides it shouldn’t be here,” the exhibit surrounding the artwork will be on rotation.
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A word with the artist
Loveless’ formal rendition of Reeves — bowtie and all — is not the first, second or third artwork that Loveless has done of Reeves. It’s the fourth, and perhaps Loveless’ fastest, completed in just six weeks, he said.
The $15,000 contract for the painting began in October and was paid entirely with private funds, Johnson said.
Loveless said he didn’t know the portrait of Reeves would be the first of any African American to hang in the Capitol, but he wanted it to be special and show the legacy of the individual like any other portrait.
At first, Loveless said he wanted to paint Reeves in a manner that was more indicative of his spirit — a “rough guy” who worked outside and helped horses get out of ditches — but the formal portrait was recommended to match others in the statehouse.
Loveless said Reeves seldom would have dressed as he is shown in the portrait.
“Along with your expression, your hands say things, too,” Loveless said. “…I feel as though he was a confident guy. I didn’t want him to look over confident, but his hands reflect who he is. The hard work, the fact that he was relaxed in this kind of different situation of being in front of a camera — I wanted all that to come forth through his hands.”
Loveless said he aims to depict historic, Black figures from the 1800s through his artwork.
In the eighth grade, Loveless said he had a teacher who told him that “Black folks just stayed on the sidelines, they didn’t do much during this time, so that’s why it’s not included.” But with two parents as school teachers who had books with illustrations of successful Black people, Loveless said he knew something was afoot.
“I’m just glad that some of this is being uncovered, because I want people to know — to have a clear picture of what happened in the past,” he said.
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