Ud-je-jock, Pelican, a Boy

George Catlin, Ud-je-jock, Pelican, a Boy, 1845, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.538
Copied George Catlin, Ud-je-jock, Pelican, a Boy, 1845, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.538
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Artwork Details

Title
Ud-je-jock, Pelican, a Boy
Artist
Date
1845
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
  • Portrait male — Pelican — child
  • Indian — Ojibwa
Object Number
1985.66.538
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.538

Artwork Description

In the 1840s, George Catlin traveled to Europe to exhibit and promote his Indian Gallery; and during those years, delegations of Iowa and Ojibwe joined him. In the spring of 1845, Catlin took his Indian Gallery and the visiting Iowa to Paris, where their performances drew the interest of such cultural figures as Victor Hugo and Eugène Delacroix. When the Iowa returned to the United States, they were replaced by a group of Ojibwe, including Tempest Bird, Bird of Thunder, and Pelican. They so entertained King Louis Philippe that he asked them to perform for the royal family and invited Catlin to exhibit his collection at the Louvre.