The image shows four individuals seated or reclining on the ground. On the left, an older man is seated, leaning back slightly, with patterned facial markings and long dark hair adorned with feathers. He wears a fur-trimmed shawl over his shoulders, elaborate leg coverings decorated with quillwork, and holds a long pipe with feathers attached. In the center, a younger man sits with a child on his lap; his hair is also long and decorated with feathers, and he has necklaces around his neck. To the right, a woman reclines, propped on one arm, with long hair and wearing a simple garment with necklaces. The background consists of a painted cloudy sky in pastel hues, suggesting an outdoor setting with sandy terrain, while a shield and spear decorated with feathers and fur stand in the ground behind them.
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The image shows four individuals seated or reclining on the ground. On the left, an older man is seated, leaning back slightly, with patterned facial markings and long dark hair adorned with feathers. He wears a fur-trimmed shawl over his shoulders, elaborate leg coverings decorated with quillwork, and holds a long pipe with feathers attached. In the center, a younger man sits with a child on his lap; his hair is also long and decorated with feathers, and he has necklaces around his neck. To the right, a woman reclines, propped on one arm, with long hair and wearing a simple garment with necklaces. The background consists of a painted cloudy sky in pastel hues, suggesting an outdoor setting with sandy terrain, while a shield and spear decorated with feathers and fur stand in the ground behind them.

National Gallery of Art · Painting

An Aged Minatarree Chief and His Family

George Catlin

Date
1861/1869
Medium
oil on card mounted on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 46.5 x 62.1 cm (18 5/16 x 24 7/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Accession number
1965.16.76
Credit line
Paul Mellon Collection
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CAB

Subjects and terms

  • painted surface
  • American
  • American Paintings, Catlin
  • North American Indian
  • portrait
  • Eehk-tohk-pa-she-pee-shaw (The Black Moccasin)
  • Family of chief (unnamed)
  • Minatarree
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.

NGA object ID 50384. 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.