The painting depicts a wide view from a slightly elevated perspective, showing a scene of daily life. The horizon is high in the image, where green hills meet the sky. The sky is painted with soft brushstrokes in blue, pink, and orange hues. The grassy plains in the forefront and background have figures, tepees, people, and horses engaged in various activities. The oval frame contains the composition. The color palette is natural and earthy, dominated by greens and browns, with pastel hues in the sky.
Read the visual description

The painting depicts a wide view from a slightly elevated perspective, showing a scene of daily life. The horizon is high in the image, where green hills meet the sky. The sky is painted with soft brushstrokes in blue, pink, and orange hues. The grassy plains in the forefront and background have figures, tepees, people, and horses engaged in various activities. The oval frame contains the composition. The color palette is natural and earthy, dominated by greens and browns, with pastel hues in the sky.

National Gallery of Art · Painting

A Sioux Village

George Catlin

Date
1861/1869
Medium
oil on card mounted on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 45.7 x 62.1 cm (18 x 24 7/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Accession number
1965.16.12
Credit line
Paul Mellon Collection
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CAB

Subjects and terms

  • painted surface
  • American
  • Village
  • American Paintings, Catlin
  • Sioux
  • North American Indian
  • architecture
Provenance

George Catlin [1796-1872]; by descent to his daughters, Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin; purchased 1912 from Elizabeth Wing Catlin by the American Museum of Natural History; sold 1959 through (Kennedy Galleries, New York) to Mr. Paul Mellon, Upperville, VA; gift 1965 to the NGA.

Inscription

lower left on card: A/101; upper center on board in pink paint: 311

NGA object ID 50320. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.