Jú-ah-kís-gaw, Woman With Her Child in a Cradle

George Catlin, Jú-ah-kís-gaw, Woman With Her Child in a Cradle, 1835, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.186
George Catlin, Jú-ah-kís-gaw, Woman With Her Child in a Cradle, 1835, oil on canvas, 2924 in. (73.760.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.186
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Jú-ah-kís-gaw, Woman With Her Child in a Cradle
Date
1835
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
Subjects
  • Figure group — family — mother and child
  • Dress — Indian dress
  • Indian — Ojibwa
  • Object — furniture — cradle
  • Portrait female — Ju Ah Kis Gaw — full length
Object Number
1985.66.186

Artwork Description

George Catlin described this work as “the portrait of a Chippeway woman . . . with her child in its crib or cradle . . . [the umbilicus] hanging before the child's face for its supernatural protector . . . This woman's dress was mostly made of civilized manufactures, but curiously decorated and ornamented according to Indian taste.” (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 51, 1841; reprint 1973)

Works by this artist (2 items)

John Buck, Father and Son, 1986, color woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Lichtenberg Family Foundation, 1989.33, © 1986, John Buck
Father and Son
Date1986
color woodcut on paper
Not on view
Red Jesus
Date1986
color woodcut on paper
Not on view