Wah-pe-séh-see, Mother of the Chief

George Catlin, Wah-pe-séh-see, Mother of the Chief, 1830, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.247
George Catlin, Wah-pe-séh-see, Mother of the Chief, 1830, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.247
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Artwork Details

Title
Wah-pe-séh-see, Mother of the Chief
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
  • Portrait female — Wah Pe Seh See
  • Indian — Kaskaskia
Object Number
1985.66.247
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.247

Artwork Description

Wah-pe-séh-see was the mother of the Kaskaskia/Miami chief Kee-món-saw, or Little Chief (see 1985.66.246). George Catlin, who described her as “a very aged woman,” probably painted her portrait at Fort Leavenworth (in today’s Kansas) in 1830. (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 47, 1841; reprint 1973)

Works by this artist (625 items)

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George Catlin, Two Young Men, 1835 or 1836, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.235-236
Two Young Men
Artist
Date1835 or 1836
oil on canvas
On view
George Catlin, Ah'-kay-ee-pix-en, Woman Who Strikes Many, 1832, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.155
Ah’-kay-ee-pix-en, Woman Who Strikes Many
Artist
Date1832
oil on canvas
On view
George Catlin, View from Floyd's Grave, 1300 Miles above St. Louis, 1832, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.398
View from Floyd’s Grave, 1300 Miles above St. Louis
Artist
Date1832
oil on canvas
On view
George Catlin, Magnificent Clay Bluffs, 1800 Miles above St. Louis, 1832, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.370
Magnificent Clay Bluffs, 1800 Miles above St. Louis
Artist
Date1832
oil on canvas
On view

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