ORThe Open Room
Digital gallery
Back to the NGA collection
The image depicts a group of people engaged in various activities near a riverbank. The scene is viewed from a slightly elevated angle, showing lush rainforest vegetation dominating the upper part of the scene. A cluster of tent-like structures is positioned to the left, with people around them. Smooth and detailed brushwork captures the dense foliage and the color palette is mainly rich greens with accents of earth tones. A canoe with figures is visible on the river to the right.
Read the visual description

The image depicts a group of people engaged in various activities near a riverbank. The scene is viewed from a slightly elevated angle, showing lush rainforest vegetation dominating the upper part of the scene. A cluster of tent-like structures is positioned to the left, with people around them. Smooth and detailed brushwork captures the dense foliage and the color palette is mainly rich greens with accents of earth tones. A canoe with figures is visible on the river to the right.

National Gallery of Art · Painting

A Mura Encampment - Boat Sketch

George Catlin

Date
1854/1869
Medium
oil on card mounted on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 47.8 x 62.3 cm (18 13/16 x 24 1/2 in.)
Classification
Painting
Accession number
1965.16.281
Credit line
Paul Mellon Collection
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CAB
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • painted surface
  • American
  • art
  • genre
  • Boat
  • American Paintings, Catlin
  • Encampment
  • Catlin, George
  • Mura
  • South American Indian
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 50589. 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.