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George Catlin
(1796-1872)
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| Think that you may own a painting by George Catlin? We authenticate, appraise, research and issue certificates of authenticity (COA) and provide consultations for all paintings by George Catlin. |
The White Cloud, Iowa Nation Head Chief
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| George Catlin was a 19th century American painter, famous for his depictions of Native American tribes. Catlin originally worked as a lawyer, but left his career to paint Native Americans. His aim was to depict them in such a way that no one else had done before and to document their looks and customs. Catlin’s mother and grandmother were both captured by Native American tribes at some point, and perhaps this was why he was so interested in their culture. |
Native Americans
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Kee o k k The Watchful Fox Chief of the Tribe 1835
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Comanche Village
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| Catlin was a self-taught artist and took a number of excursions to create his more than 600 Native American portraits and scenes. Catlin also took descriptive notes of what he encountered and was thought to have met with nearly 50 tribes. Some of his notes, descriptions and paintings of western tribes are the only remaining documents and information about those tribes of long ago. |
The Buffalo Dance
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Bear Dance
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Painting a Chief
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| Catlin primarily studied and painted the Mandan tribe, a tribe which he believed was comprised of Welsh descendents. |
Mandans with Welsh-like “Bull” boats
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Interior View of the Medicine Lodge Mandan O kee pa Ceremony
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View of the Mandan Village
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| Catlin also portrayed the Plains Indians, and art historians believe that he was the first artist to ever record them in their own territory. During this time, the Indian Removal Act had just been passed by Congress, and many Native Americans had been forced to migrate to the west. This coupled with a smallpox epidemic and the infiltration of other western explorers and travelers forced many Native Americans of the time to either adapt or die. Catlin felt that the west was truly corrupt and wanted to paint these tribes with the nobility they deserved, and at the same time, knew that this was probably the end of many of them. |
Buffalo Bill’s Back: Fat, Head Chief 1832
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A Grand Pawnee Warrior 1832
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Black Moccasin, Aged Chief |
| Besides being an artist, Catlin was also an entrepreneur. He organized some of the first “Wild West” shows in the United States in order to showcase the Native American cultures. He traveled all over the United States and Europe with his show, showing his paintings and sketches which were dubbed the Catlin Cartoon Collection. |
Bison
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Buffalo Hunters under Wolf Skin Mask
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Snow Hunt
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| In 1852, Catlin’s Wild West show went bankrupt and most of his works were sold to a private collector, one Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr. Her relatives would later donate these paintings and sketches to the Smithsonian museum. Prior to this sale, Catlin had lobbied for the United States government to purchase these artworks in order to save his Indian Gallery for future generations. Today, Catlin’s paintings are recognized as a great cultural treasure. |
Big Sail, a Chief
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Indian Boy
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Wee-ta-sha-ro, Head Chief of the Tribe 1834
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| After his Wild West show closed, Catlin traveled throughout South America and the American West. It is quite likely that he continued to paint, sketch and document his findings on his travels west and through South America. To find one of his documented pieces from 1852 to 1872 of the west or South American tribes would be a rare and extraordinary treat. |
General William Clark 1830
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Brick Kilns Clay Bluffs, 1900 miles above St. Louis 1832
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Ambush for Flamingos 1857
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| Still wondering about a 19th century American Indian sketch or painting hanging in your home? Contact us…it could be by George Catlin. |
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