Osceola Nick-a-no-chee, a Boy

George Catlin, Osceola Nick-a-no-chee, a Boy, 1840, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.386,307 1/2
Copied George Catlin, Osceola Nick-a-no-chee, a Boy, 1840, oil on canvas, 5240 in. (132.1101.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.386,307 1/2
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Artwork Details

Title
Osceola Nick-a-no-chee, a Boy
Date
1840
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
5240 in. (132.1101.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Indian
  • Portrait male — Osceola Nick-a-no-chee — child
Object Number
1985.66.386,307 1/2

Artwork Description

George Catlin’s Indian Gallery attracted attention in New York and other eastern cities, but not enough paying customers to support the artist and his family. In November 1839, Catlin sailed for England in hopes of generating increased receipts and perhaps selling the Indian Gallery to a wealthy aristocrat. Nick-a-no-chee, a Seminole who was thought to be a nephew of the great Osceola, was a ready subject of sympathy in Britain, where the Indian policies of the United States were roundly condemned. He visited the Indian Gallery on a number of occasions, sometimes clothed in Indian garments from Catlin’s collection.