George Catlin, Mandan Scalping an Enemy, 1835-1837, oil on canvas, 19 1⁄2 x 27 1⁄2 in. (49.6 x 70.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.498
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Mandan Scalping an Enemy
- Artist
- Date
- 1835-1837
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 19 1⁄2 x 27 1⁄2 in. (49.6 x 70.0 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on canvas
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Indian — Mandan
- State of being — evil — war
- Figure group — male
- Object Number
- 1985.66.498
Artwork Description
George Catlin described this painting as a tale from the Mandans of “a Conqueror conquered” and noted that it “took place in front of the Mandan village.” Catlin sketched the scene in 1835 and completed the painting in his studio between 1835 and 1857. (Catlin, 1848 Catalogue, Catlin’s Indian Gallery, SAAM online exhibition; Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)
