George Catlin, Portraits of a Grizzly Bear and Mouse, Life Size, 1846-1848, oil on canvas, 26 5⁄8 x 32 1⁄2 in. (67.5 x 82.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.603
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Portraits of a Grizzly Bear and Mouse, Life Size
- Artist
- Date
- 1846-1848
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 26 5⁄8 x 32 1⁄2 in. (67.5 x 82.5 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on canvas
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Animal — mouse
- Animal — portrait
- Animal — bear
- Object Number
- 1985.66.603
Artwork Description
George Catlin included two grizzly bears in the eight tons of material for his Indian Gallery that he brought to England in 1839. But the bears were destructive pests and Catlin eventually sold them to London’s Zoological Gardens in October, 1840. European audiences had to content themselves with life-size portraits such as this, in which the presence of a familiar, if bold, little mouse establishes the bear’s huge size.
