Whose Portrait is it?

A few days ago I profiled Attakullakulla (Little Carpenter) of the Cherokee and included a picture said to be of him.  From a Facebook group I got a helpful hint that the portrait I'd posted, by Joshua Reynolds, might not have been of Attakullakulla, but of another leader, Ostenaco.  I had traced the picture through various sources and thought I had the right person.  The confusion lies in the fact that both of these men, well-known Native leaders of the period, had been to London and had portraits painted.

Attakullakulla, whom I profiled last week, visited London in 1730 and may also have had his portrait painted.  However that image, and the name of the artist who painted it, are now lost to history. 

Ostenaco (c 1703-1789), who preferred to be called by his warrior's name Usdihi or "Mankiller" was the war leader of the Cherokee town of Tomotley.  Like many war leaders, he also had a dual role in diplomacy and was one of those leaders who met with Henry Timberlake in 1761.  He later travelled with Timberlake to Williamsburg, Virginia and asked to go and see the King of England himself to raise concerns of settlers encroaching on Cherokee land.  Henry Timberlake arranged for Ostenaco and several other leaders to go to London in 1762.  There, they had their portraits painted by Joshua Reynolds, one of the leading painters of the day.  Ostenaco later returned to America and tried to keep his people at peace with the Americans, though he came to ally with the British in an effort to stem further encroachments on Cherokee land.  For his efforts in both war and peace, he deserves a full post, which he will get soon.

Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was the leading portraitist of his day.  Everyone who was anyone in London, whether royalty, aristocracy or otherwise visiting, had their portraits done by Reynolds.   He would have not have been in business in 1730, when Attakullakulla visited, but was definitely a painter of renown in 1762, when Ostenaco came to London.  Thus, if the portrait is by Reynolds, then the subject would have to be Ostenaco.