Há-tchoo-túc-knee, Snapping Turtle, a Half-breed

George Catlin, Há-tchoo-túc-knee, Snapping Turtle, a Half-breed, 1834, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.296
Copied George Catlin, Há-tchoo-túc-knee, Snapping Turtle, a Half-breed, 1834, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.296
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Há-tchoo-túc-knee, Snapping Turtle, a Half-breed
Artist
Date
1834
Location
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 male — Snapping Turtle
  • Indian — Choctaw
Object Number
1985.66.296
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.296

Artwork Description

Like the Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole, the Choctaw were farmers, plantation owners, and educated professionals. Snapping Turtle, also known as Peter Pitchlynn, was a graduate of the University of Nashville and George Catlin’s source for “much curious and valuable information, of the history and traditions of his tribe.” Catlin painted his portrait at Fort Gibson, Arkansas Territory, in 1834.