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The image shows three individuals in full body. On the left, a person stands holding a paddle and a basket. They have long dark hair and wear a red garment with red leg coverings. In the center, another person stands with a spear, draped in an orange-red textile. They have dark hair and wear large circular earrings. On the right, a person stands holding a stick-like object, wearing a shorter garment with red accents and dark hair. The background is softly painted in light blues and beiges, suggesting an outdoor setting.
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The image shows three individuals in full body. On the left, a person stands holding a paddle and a basket. They have long dark hair and wear a red garment with red leg coverings. In the center, another person stands with a spear, draped in an orange-red textile. They have dark hair and wear large circular earrings. On the right, a person stands holding a stick-like object, wearing a shorter garment with red accents and dark hair. The background is softly painted in light blues and beiges, suggesting an outdoor setting.

National Gallery of Art · Painting

Botocudo Chief, His Wife, and a Young Man

George Catlin

Date
1854/1869
Medium
oil on card mounted on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 46 x 59.8 cm (18 1/8 x 23 9/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Accession number
1965.16.249
Credit line
Paul Mellon Collection
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CAB
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • painted surface
  • American
  • American Paintings, Catlin
  • Chief (unnamed)
  • Wife of chief (unnamed)
  • South American Indian
  • portrait
  • Botocudo
  • Young man
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 50557. 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.