Original post on c.im

Spent a good deal of time browsing the Smithsonian's online collection of works from George Catlin's Indian Gallery.

These pictures have long fascinated me. They could be fitted into so many histories: American Indians, romanticism, portraiture, Western art, US art, colonialism, antebellum US […]

It’s a bust-length portrait of an Indigenous woman, shown front-facing and centered, her posture steady and composed. She has long, dark hair that falls over her shoulders, and a direct gaze that meets ours. Her skin appears warm brown in tone, softly modeled with light across the cheeks and forehead. Her hair-part and upper cheeks are painted vermilion red which was a widespread women’s custom American artist George Catlin observed. She wears a light-colored hide garment with feathery edging at the neckline and sleeves. Multiple strands of blue and white beads layer across her chest, adding weight and texture. Her hands rest together near the lower edge of the picture, suggesting a seated pose. The background is spare and atmospheric, a muted, open field of color that keeps attention on her face, hair, and adornment. Painted during Catlin’s 1832 journey along the Missouri River, this work records Kah-béck-a (“The Twin”), identified as the wife of Bloody Hand, a chief of the Arikara (Sahnish) people, and painted at a Mandan village. Catlin’s project was to create a self-styled “Indian Gallery” which was driven by urgency and ambition to document Native lives as the United States intensified expansion, forced removal, and the cascading disruptions of disease, trade, and violence. The portrait therefore holds a tension. It offers a rare named presence of an Arikara woman in early U.S. painting, but it is also shaped by an outsider’s framing and the era’s collecting impulse. Even within that constraint, Kah-béck-a’s stillness reads as self-possessed like an image of personhood rather than spectacle. It invites us to consider what is known, what is omitted, and whose voice gets to define the story.

“Kah-béck-a, The Twin, Wife of Bloody Hand” by George Catlin (American) - Oil on canvas / 1832 - Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, DC) #WomenInArt #GeorgeCatlin #Catlin #SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum #SAAM #Smithsonian #NativeAmericanArt #art #arte #artText #AmericanArt #PortraitofaWoman

#GeorgeCatlin

May I suggest #GeorgeCatlin
#ChrisRock #KattWilliams #PaulMooney

Like they spoke of truth and were funny

In 1832, American artist George Catlin painted Chin-cha-pee, wife of the Assiniboine warrior Pigeon’s Egg Head, at Fort Union (in North Dakota, near the Montana border, at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers). Catlin described the woman as “fine looking . . . in a handsome dress of the mountain-sheep skin, holding in her hand a stick curiously carved, with which every woman in this country is supplied; for the purpose of digging up the . . . prairie turnip (also known as Indian breadroot or Indian turnip, a perennial plant native to the Great Plains of North America characterized by an edible, starchy, tuberous root that has historically been an important food source for Native Americans).” The painting is a close-up portrait of Chin-cha-pee, her gaze direct and serious, meeting our eyes with a steady, almost defiant look. Her face is a striking, deep bronze, with a darker vertical line extending down from her forehead, indicating ceremonial or spiritual significance. Her dark hair is neatly pulled back into two long, thick braids that cascade down her shoulders. She wears a light beige garment made of leather for a loose, flowing fit. It is adorned with a fur trim along the shoulders and sleeves, suggesting warmth and practicality. Around her neck, she wears a necklace composed of dark beads interspersed with light-colored stones. From her ears dangle long earrings, also made of small beads. A dark feather or plume is visible on her chest, near the neckline of her dress. Chin-cha-pee holds a long, slender staff close to her body. The staff is dark brown with intricate carvings along its length. The background of the painting is a muted, greyish-green, which is somewhat indistinct, placing complete emphasis on the woman herself. The overall atmosphere is one of quiet dignity and strength. Catlin’s style seems to capture realism, focusing on Chin-cha-pee and her cultural identity with a sense of gravitas and respect.

“Chin-cha-pee, Fire Bug That Creeps, Wife of Pigeon's Egg Head” by George Catlin (American) - Oil on canvas / 1832 - Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington DC) #WomenInArt #art #NativeAmerican #artText #Assiniboine #poc #GeorgeCatlin #Catlin #Smithsonian #SAAM #SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum

U.S. artist George Catlin described the beautiful Lakota (Teton Sioux) Tchon-su-mons-ka (Sandbar) as “very richly dressed, the upper part of her garment being almost literally covered with brass buttons; and her hair, which was inimitably beautiful and soft, and glossy as silk, fell over her shoulders in great profusion, and in beautiful waves, produced by the condition in which it is generally kept in braids, giving to it, when combed out, a waving form, adding much to its native appearance, which is invariably straight and graceless . . . This woman is at present the wife of a white man by the name of Chardon, a Frenchman, who has been many years in the employment of the American Fur Company, in the character of a Trader and Interpreter.” Francis A. Chardon was born in Philadelphia. After his service in the War of 1812, he entered the fur trade. With Chardon, Tchon-su-mons-ka had two children: Francis Bolivar (1832) and Andrew Jackson (1835). Bolivar was sent to Philadelphia where he was raised by Chardon’s parents. He later attended St. Louis University. Andrew Jackson Chardon died of smallpox in 1837, a few months after his mother, Tchon-su-mons-ka, had passed away. Catlin painted this portrait at Fort Pierre (in present-day South Dakota) in 1832. Tchon-su-mons-ka’s skin is a rich, dark brown tone, and she possesses long, wavy black hair that cascades down to her chest. Her expression is serious, with a slight blend of melancholy and curiosity in her eyes, which are dark and expressive, looking off to the our left. She has a small, dark mark on her forehead, possibly a traditional adornment, and there are faint red markings on her scalp, cheeks, and forearms. Her attire consists of a light-colored tunic, embellished with small, round, brass buttons sewn onto the chest area in irregular lines, adding texture and intricacy to the outfit. The edges of her sleeves have fringe. She wears multiple strands of beaded necklaces and several bracelets and rings.

“Tchón-su-móns-ka, Sand Bar, Wife of the Trader François Chardon by George Catlin (American) - Oil on canvas / 1832 - Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington DC) #WomenInArt #art #PortraitofaWoman #SAAM #Smithsonian #ArtText #AmericanArt #lakota #GeorgeCatlin #artwork #catlin #NativeAmerican

#GeorgeCatlin was born #OnThisDay in 1796, becoming an adventurer as well as a lawyer & remembered today for his portraits of #NativeAmericans — whom he portrayed as dignified & proud — as with the #Seminole chief #Osceola (1838)
www.wikiart.org/en/george-ca...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...

#GeorgeCatlin was born #OnThisDay in 1796, becoming an adventurer as well as a lawyer & remembered today for his portraits of #NativeAmericans — whom he portrayed as dignified & proud — as with the Seneca "Round Island, a Warrior" (1831)
americanart.si.edu/artwork/roun...

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Wi-jún-jon, Pigeon's Egg Head (The Light), a Distinguished Young Warrior
1831
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Mah-tó-che-ga, Little Bear, a Hunkpapa Brave
1832
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Eeh-nís-kim, Crystal Stone, Wife of the Chief
1832
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Aú-nah-kwet-to-hau-páy-o, One Sitting in the Clouds, a Boy
1831
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Chin-cha-pee, Fire Bug That Creeps, Wife of Pigeon's Egg Head
1832
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Pah-shee-náu-shaw, a Warrior
1831
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Chée-ah-ká-tchée, Wife of Nót-to-way
1835
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Os-ce-o-lá, The Black Drink, a Warrior of Great Distinction
1838
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Wah-ro-née-sah, The Surrounder, Chief of the Tribe
1832
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Shón-ka, The Dog, Chief of the Bad Arrow Points Band
1832
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Shon-ta-yi-ga, Little Wolf, a Famous Warrior
1844-5
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Táh-téck-a-da-háir, Steep Wind, a Brave of the Bad Arrow Points Band
1832
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Sha-có-pay, The Six, Chief of the Plains Ojibwa
1832
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Wá-hón-ga-shee, No Fool, a Great Fop
1832
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Stu-mick-o-súcks, Buffalo Bull's Back Fat, Head Chief, Blood Tribe
1832
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Wash-ka-mon-ya, Fast Dancer, a Warrior
1844-5
Smithsonian American Art Museum
#Catlin

#WilliamFisk (1796-1872)
Portrait of #GeorgeCatlin (1796-1872), who was #BornOnThisDay
1849
Smithsonian
#Catlin

🎨 #GeorgeCatlin, American author and painter, was #BOTD 26 July 1796. #Art #Painting

“I have visited 48 different tribes, the greater part of which I found speaking different languages, and containing in all 400,000 souls. I have brought home safe, and in good order, 310 portraits in oil, all painted in their native dress, and in their own wigwams . . . as well as a very extensive and curious collection of their costumes, and all their other manufactures, from the size of a wigwam down to the size of a quill or a rattle.” — George Catlin American painter, artist, lawyer and writer Catlin probably painted this woman (from Iowa) at Fort Leavenworth (Kansas) in 1832. Mún-ne-o-ye appears to be of relatively young adult age. Her black hair is parted in the middle and styled in long, thick braids that fall down her chest. Small, reddish dots are visible on her forehead. She wears large, ornate dangle earrings. Her expression is contemplative, almost melancholic, yet maintains a composure that suggests inner strength. Her gaze is directed slightly downward. She is dressed in a long light beige robe. Over this garment, or perhaps integrated into its design, is a lighter-colored decorative piece. She also wears several necklaces decorated with what looks like blue beads in a layered pattern. Her wrists are adorned with wide, dark bracelets with accents of lighter grey. The overall effect of the jewelry is decorative yet not ostentatious. The background is a soft mix of earth tones—browns, tans, and muted oranges—that suggests a landscape under a hazy sky. The brushstrokes are visible and contribute to the overall slightly diffused and subdued vibe. The background sets a calm yet slightly somber mood that complements the young woman’s expression. The overall atmosphere is one of quiet dignity mixed with resignation. Catlin was likely the first well-known painter to travel beyond the Mississippi River to paint native indigenous people, and his “Indian Gallery,” staggering in its ambition and scope, is a unique perspective from the 19th century.

“Mún-ne-o-ye, a Woman” by George Catlin (American) - Oil on canvas / 1832 - Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington DC) #WomenInArt #AmericanArt #art #PortraitofaWoman #artwork #Smithsonian #GeorgeCatlin #Catlin #NativeAmerican #womensart #AmericanArtist #blueskyart #SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum

American artist and author George Catlin painted Sha-kó-ka at a Mandan village in 1832. The portrait depicts her with beautiful warm, reddish-brown skin and long flowing straight silver and black hair. She wears a light beige leather garment with fur fringe, dangling leather tassels, and ornate green and bone decorations plus multiple green and white earrings and necklaces. Her features are well-defined, with smooth skin, straight nose, thin lips, and high cheekbones painted with red circles to match red paint near her hairline. Catlin described Sha-kó-ka and her gray hair in “Letters and Notes, vol. 1, no. 13” published in 1841, as “a very pretty and modest girl, twelve years of age, with grey hair! peculiar to the Mandans . . . There are very many, of both sexes, and of every age, from infancy to manhood and old age, with hair of a bright silvery grey; and in some instances almost perfectly white.” He continued, “This singular and eccentric appearance is much oftener seen among the women than it is with the men; for many of the latter who have it, seem ashamed of it, and artfully conceal it, by filling their hair with glue and black and red earth. The women, on the other hand, seem proud of it, and display it often in an almost incredible profusion, which spreads over their shoulders and falls as low as the knee. I have ascertained, on a careful enquiry, that about one in ten or twelve of the whole tribe are what the French call ‘cheveux gris,’ or greyhairs; and that this strange and unaccountable phenomenon is not the result of disease or habit; but that it is unquestionably a hereditary character which runs in families, and indicates no inequality in disposition or intellect.” His conclusion was, “And by passing this hair through my hands, as I often have, I have found it uniformly to be as coarse and harsh as a horse’s mane; differing materially from the hair of other colors, which amongst the Mandans, is generally as fine and as soft as silk.”

“Sha-kó-ka, Mint, a Mandan Girl” by George Catlin (American) - Oil on canvas / 1832 - Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC #womeninart #art #oilpainting #NativeAmerican #womensart #portraitofawoman #GeorgeCatlin #Catlin #Smithsonian #prettygirl #mandan #beauty #SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum

George Catlin painted this work at Fort Union in the upper Midwest in 1832. The portrait shows Crystal Stone from the waist in “traditional” attire including rings and bracelet. The artist wrote, “I have also placed upon my canvas (Crystal Stone); her countenance is rather pleasing, which is an uncommon thing amongst the Blackfeet---her dress is made of skins, and being the youngest of a bevy of six or eight, and the last one taken under his (the chief's) guardianship, was smiled upon with great satisfaction.” Crystal Stone was the youngest wife of the Blackfoot chief Buffalo Bull’s Back Fat, the “apple of his eye” and “exempted . . . from the drudgeries of the camp.”

Eeh-nís-kim, Crystal Stone (Wife of the Chief) by George Catlin (American) - Oil on canvas / 1872 - Smithsonian American Art Museum #womeninart #painting #smithsonian #art #fineart #womensart #portrait #georgecatlin #americanart #blackfoot #indigenous #nativeamerican #oilpainting #catlin #womanart