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The painting depicts a scene of a group of Native American men sitting in a circle. They are gathered around a central point, likely a small fire. The background shows rolling hills and trees under a sky with clouds. The brushstrokes are smooth and the color palette includes earthy tones with touches of blue. Various objects such as shields and spears are placed around the group.
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The painting depicts a scene of a group of Native American men sitting in a circle. They are gathered around a central point, likely a small fire. The background shows rolling hills and trees under a sky with clouds. The brushstrokes are smooth and the color palette includes earthy tones with touches of blue. Various objects such as shields and spears are placed around the group.

National Gallery of Art · Painting

A Foot War Party in Council - Mandan

George Catlin

Date
1861/1869
Medium
oil on card mounted on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 46.9 x 62.6 cm (18 7/16 x 24 5/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Accession number
1965.16.84
Credit line
Paul Mellon Collection
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CAB
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • painted surface
  • American
  • North American Indian
  • military
  • American Paintings, Catlin
  • Mandan
  • War Council
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 50392. 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.