On-sáw-kie, The Sauk, in the Act of Praying

George Catlin, On-sáw-kie, The Sauk, in the Act of Praying, 1830, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.237
George Catlin, On-sáw-kie, The Sauk, in the Act of Praying, 1830, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.237
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Artwork Details

Title
On-sáw-kie, The Sauk, in the Act of Praying
Artist
Date
1830
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 — Potawatomi
  • Portrait male — Sauk
  • Recreation — church — prayer
Object Number
1985.66.237
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.237

Artwork Description

The Sauk, a member of the Potawatomi/Prairie Band, was probably painted by George Catlin at Fort Leavenworth (in today’s Kansas) in 1830. He described the Sauk as “in the act of praying; his prayer written in characters on a maple stick.” (Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)

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