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The image shows a riverbank scene with a canoe on the water and various figures gathered on the bank. Small figures are engaged in different activities, surrounded by a forest in the background. The painting is detailed with smooth brushstrokes, primarily using earthy and natural tones. The artwork is enclosed in an oval frame.
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The image shows a riverbank scene with a canoe on the water and various figures gathered on the bank. Small figures are engaged in different activities, surrounded by a forest in the background. The painting is detailed with smooth brushstrokes, primarily using earthy and natural tones. The artwork is enclosed in an oval frame.

National Gallery of Art · Painting

An Omagua Village - Boat Sketch

George Catlin

Date
1854/1869
Medium
oil on card mounted on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 47.5 x 62.9 cm (18 11/16 x 24 3/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Accession number
1965.16.280
Credit line
Paul Mellon Collection
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CAB
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • painted surface
  • American
  • Village
  • American Paintings, Catlin
  • Omagua
  • South American Indian
  • landscape
  • Amazon River
  • 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.

NGA object ID 50588. 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.