George Catlin and the White Gaze
In 1830, the American painter George Catlin began his trip west of the Mississippi. Between 1830-1836, Catlin visited around fifty Native tribes, including the Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Meskwaki.1 During this trip, Catlin painted many portraits of Indigenous men and women, as well as landscapes of the areas he was visiting. While we can learn a lot from these paintings, it is important to first acknowledge the ways in which Catlin was problematic.
One large issue to note when looking at Catlin’s work is that he was always trying to make a profit while creating his pieces. Catlin was trying to create a record of Native nations, but primarily was trying to make money.2 Not only did Catlin profit from the exploitation of these subjects, but also of Indiginious prisoners. Catlin was able to gain access to dying Indigenous prisoners and capitalize from these works, such as his portrait of a Creek man named Osceola.3 It is works such as these that really show Catlin’s agenda and desire to profit from his portraits.
Múk-a-tah-mish-o-káh-kaik, Black Hawk, Prominent Sac Chief
Shee-náh-wee
Another issue to be aware of is the contradictory manner in which Catlin presented his work. In presenting his works, Catlin drew people in by presenting his subjects as the stereotypes placed on them by white settlers. For example, Catlin’s piece named “Mandan Ceremony,” specifically the way Catlin talked about the piece, played into the aggressive, animalistic (or “unChristian”) stereotypes of Native people created by settlers.4 Unlike his portraits, this piece was done from memory, and it does not seem that Catlin had sketchbooks to document observations.5 On the other hand, he would also make a point to display works in a way that discredited those stereotypes.6
Na-pów-sa, Bear Traveling at Night, a Chief
Pah-mee-ców-ee-tah, Man Who Tracks, a Chief
While Catlin as an artist was problematic in his behavior, there are things that can be observed about the material culture of the nations he visited. Because Catlin painted many portraits, we are able to see different styles and types of clothing and textiles and hairstyles. There is no indication that Catlin orchestrated what was worn by the subjects of the portraits.7 Although these portraits were created with poor intention, we are able to see the product of ethnographic information in much detail. Subjects of these portraits would come dressed in their finest clothes, and in some instances would pose with things such as peace medals received through interactions with the U.S. government.8 Each portrait has large amounts of detail, showing everything from specific jewelry, texture of clothing, hairstyles, designs painted onto the skin, and more that were specific to the particular nations that each subject was a part of. Through this we can understand how members of these nations presented themselves during the particular time at which they were painted. Although it does not appear these particular portraits were orchestrated, it is still important to be thoughtful when observing and trying to learn from Catlin’s work, understanding that it was still created through the white gaze.
By Phoenix Haessler
1 Smithsonian American Art Museum, “George Catlin,” accessed May 26, 2021, https://americanart.si.edu/artist/george-catlin-782.
Kate Elliot, Framing First Contact : From Catlin to Russell, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2020, 41.
3 Dr. Kate Elliot, interview by Phoenix Haessler, May 22, 2021.
4 Elliot, interview.
5 Elliot, interview.
6 Elliot, interview.
7 Elliot, interview.
8 Elliot, interview.
Image: Catlin, George. “Múk-a-tah-mish-o-káh-kaik, Black Hawk, Prominent Sac Chief.” 1832. Smithsonian Institution. Accessed May 20, 2021 http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7193e09b6-c7e0-419a-a1d6-32d351914e10.
Image: Catlin, George. “Na-pów-sa, Bear Traveling at Night, a Chief.” 1830. Smithsonian Institution. Accessed May 27, 2021. http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7fbe89a0e-60e7-449e-b5b3-fb0edf593e0b.
Image: Catlin, George. “Pah-mee-ców-ee-tah, Man Who Tracks, a Chief.” 1830. Smithsonian Institution. Accessed May 18, 2021.http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk795834cbb-ab7a-49f9-bdf1-6a2c3357b701.
Image: Catlin, George. “Shee-náh-wee.” 1830. Smithsonian Institution. Accessed May 27, 2021. http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk772739e1d-9e4f-4fef-858a-ce9dce6fabf7.