I‑an-be-w’ah-dick, Male Caribou, a Brave

George Catlin, I-an-be-w'ah-dick, Male Caribou, a Brave, 1836, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.194
George Catlin, I-an-be-w'ah-dick, Male Caribou, a Brave, 1836, oil on canvas, 2924 in. (73.760.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.194
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
I‑an-be-w’ah-dick, Male Caribou, a Brave
Date
1836
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
2924 in. (73.760.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Dress — Indian dress
  • Indian — Ojibwa
  • Portrait male — Male Caribou — bust
  • Object — weapon — club
Object Number
1985.66.194

Artwork Description

George Catlin described Male Caribou, a member of the Ojibwe/Chippewa tribe, as “a brave, with a war-club in his hand.” This portrait was painted from life at Sault Ste. Marie, located between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, during Catlin’s only visit there in 1836. Despite the obvious interest Catlin took in rendering the decorated shirt, war club, and feathered turban-style headdress, this warrior’s direct gaze is what holds our attention. Catlin’s portraits show the Plains Indians as individuals with distinct personalities. (Catlin, 1848 Catalogue, Catlin’s Indian Gallery, SAAM online exhibition)

Works by this artist (744 items)

William Zorach, Seated Girl (with hands under legs), 1930, cast and patinated plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1971.449.8
Seated Girl (with hands under legs)
Date1930
cast and patinated plaster
On view
William Zorach, Head of Abraham Walkowitz, 1943, plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1968.154.130
Head of Abraham Walkowitz
Date1943
plaster
On view
William Zorach, Head of Robert Schwarzenbach, ca. 1930, marble, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1968.154.150
Head of Robert Schwarzenbach
Dateca. 1930
marble
On view
William Zorach, Head of Eudora, ca. 1960, cast and painted plaster on wood base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the collection of the Zorach children, 1976.145.47
Head of Eudora
Dateca. 1960
cast and painted plaster on wood base
On view

More Artworks from the Collection

George Catlin, Round Island, a Warrior, 1831, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.265
Round Island, a Warrior
Date1831
oil on canvas
Not on view
Carl Newman, (Landscape with Red Roof Building), ca. 1880-1910, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Anna McCleery Newton, 1968.121.2
(Landscape with Red Roof Building)
Dateca. 1880-1910
oil on canvas
Not on view
Alice Pike Barney, Self-Portrait Reflected in Mirror, 1896, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney, 1966.111.15
Self-Portrait Reflected in Mirror
Date1896
oil on canvas
Not on view