Mandan Scalping an Enemy

George Catlin, Mandan Scalping an Enemy, 1835-1837, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.498
Copied George Catlin, Mandan Scalping an Enemy, 1835-1837, oil on canvas, 19 1⁄2 x 27 1⁄2 in. (49.6 x 70.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.498
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Mandan Scalping an Enemy
Artist
Date
1835-1837
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
19 1⁄2 x 27 1⁄2 in. (49.6 x 70.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group — male
  • State of being — evil — war
  • Indian — Mandan
Object Number
1985.66.498
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.498

Artwork Description

George Catlin described this painting as a tale from the Mandans of “a Conqueror conquered” and noted that it “took place in front of the Mandan village.” Catlin sketched the scene in 1835 and completed the painting in his studio between 1835 and 1857. (Catlin, 1848 Catalogue, Catlin’s Indian Gallery, SAAM online exhibition; Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)