Wa-quóth-e-qua, The Buck’s Wife, Wife of the Whale

George Catlin, Wa-quóth-e-qua, The Buck's Wife, Wife of the Whale, 1835, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.10
Copied George Catlin, Wa-quóth-e-qua, The Buck's Wife, Wife of the Whale, 1835, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.10
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Wa-quóth-e-qua, The Buck’s Wife, Wife of the Whale
Artist
Date
1835
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Indian — Sauk and Fox
  • Dress — Indian dress
  • Portrait female — Buck’s Wife
  • Portrait female — Buck’s Wife — full length
Object Number
1985.66.10
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.10

Artwork Description

“Ah-mou-a (the whale and his wife), are also fair specimens of this tribe [Sac and Fox]. Her name is Wa-quo-the-qua (the buck's wife, or female deer), and she was wrapped in a mackinaw blanket, whilst he was curiously dressed, and held his war-club in his hand.” (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 56, 1841; reprint 1973)