George Catlin, Tál-lee, a Warrior of Distinction, 1834, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.32
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Tál-lee, a Warrior of Distinction
- Artist
- Date
- 1834
- Location
- Not on view
- 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 — Tal Lee — full length
- Indian — Sauk and Fox
- Dress — Indian dress
- Dress — accessory — shield
- Object — weapon — spear
- Object Number
- 1985.66.32
Artwork Description
“Amongst the many brave and distinguished warriors of the tribe, one of the most noted and respected is Tal-lee, painted at full length, with his lance in his hand---his shield on his arm, and his bow and quiver slung upon his back. In this portrait, there is a fair specimen of the Osage figure and dress, as well as of the facial outline, and shape and character of the head, and mode of dressing and ornamenting it with helmet-crest, and the eagle's quill.” George Catlin painted the warrior at Fort Gibson (in present-day Oklahoma) in 1834. (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 38, 1841; reprint 1973)