George Catlin, Peh-tó-pe-kiss, Eagle's Ribs, a Piegan Chief, 1832, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.160
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Peh-tó-pe-kiss, Eagle’s Ribs, a Piegan Chief
- Artist
- Date
- 1832
- 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
- Indian — Blackfoot
- Indian — Piegan
- Portrait male — Eagle’s Ribs
- Object Number
- 1985.66.160
Artwork Description
A slight tilt of the head and a direct gaze reflect this sitter’s self-assurance. George Catlin admired Eagle’s Ribs as a brave warrior, writing that he was “one of the extraordinary men of the Blackfoot” and that he owned “eight scalps, which he says he has taken from the heads of trappers and traders with his own hand.” Catlin also noted that the chief’s ornate costume was covered with scalplocks both “savage and civil.” (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 1, no. 5, 1841; reprint 1973)
