Bód-a-sin, Chief of the Tribe

George Catlin, Bód-a-sin, Chief of the Tribe, 1830, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.274
Copied George Catlin, Bód-a-sin, Chief of the Tribe, 1830, oil on canvas, 2924 in. (73.760.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.274
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Artwork Details

Title
Bód-a-sin, Chief of the Tribe
Date
1830
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
2924 in. (73.760.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Indian — Delaware
  • Portrait male — Bod A Sin
Object Number
1985.66.274

Artwork Description

George Catlin probably painted this portrait of Bód-a-sin, chief of the Delaware/Lenape tribe, at Fort Leavenworth (in today’s Kansas) in 1830. Catlin’s efforts from 1830 are generally considered his first attempts at Indian portraits in the West. He later described the tribe: “[They] originally occupied a great part of the Eastern border of Pennsylvania, and great part of the states of New Jersey and Delaware. No other tribe on the Continent has been so much moved and jostled about by civilized invasions; and none have retreated so far, or fought their way so desperately, as they have honourably and bravely contended for every foot of the ground they have passed over.” (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 47, 1841; reprint 1973)