George Catlin, Bread, Chief of the Tribe, 1831, oil on canvas, 21 1⁄4 x 16 1⁄2 in. (53.9 x 42.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.270
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Bread, Chief of the Tribe
- Artist
- Date
- 1831
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 21 1⁄4 x 16 1⁄2 in. (53.9 x 42.0 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on canvas
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Indian — Oneida
- Portrait male — Bread
- Object Number
- 1985.66.270
Artwork Description
George Catlin probably painted this image of the Oneida chief Bread in Washington, D.C. in 1831. The artist found his subject to be “a shrewd and talented man, well educated---speaking good English---[he] is handsome, and a polite and gentlemanly man in his deportment.” Catlin also described Bread as “half-blood.” The artist apparently devoted some time to painting Bread, as the portrait is one of the most perceptive and carefully finished of the period. (Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)
