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George Catlin
She-wá-no, The South, a Noted Warrior, 1831
Menominee
oil
21 1/8 x 16 1/2 in.
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
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According to an original certificate in Smithsonian files, The South (Sha-wá-no) was painted at Prairie du Chien. No date is given, but one would have to assume 1830, rather than 1835, on the basis of style. Equally strong evidence points to January 1831 in Washington as the time and place of the portrait. Changing the date of one example in this series would make it necessary to change the date of others, but more reliable evidence is needed before this can be done. At least one of Catlin's “original” certificates is incorrect, and he confused the identity of other sitters.
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