Wa-ho-béck-ee, a Handsome Brave

George Catlin, Wa-ho-béck-ee, a Handsome Brave, 1834, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.33
Copied George Catlin, Wa-ho-béck-ee, a Handsome Brave, 1834, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.33
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Artwork Details

Title
Wa-ho-béck-ee, a Handsome Brave
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 — Wa Ho Beck Ee — waist length
  • Indian — Osage
  • Dress — accessory — fan
  • Dress — Indian dress
Object Number
1985.66.33
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.33

Artwork Description

This member of the Osage tribe sat for his portrait in characteristic tribal markings, including a painted and shaved head as well as a painted upper body. George Catlin described Wa-ho-béck-ee as “a brave; said to be the handsomest man in the nation; with a profusion of wampum on his neck, and a fan in his hand made of the eagle's tail.” Wa-ho-béck-ee sat for his portrait at Fort Gibson (in present-day Oklahoma) in 1834. (Catlin, 1848 Catalogue, Catlin’s Indian Gallery, SAAM online exhibition)