A‑wun-ne-wa-be, Bird of Thunder

George Catlin, A-wun-ne-wa-be, Bird of Thunder, 1845, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.536
George Catlin, A-wun-ne-wa-be, Bird of Thunder, 1845, oil on canvas, 2924 in. (73.760.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.536
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Artwork Details

Title
A‑wun-ne-wa-be, Bird of Thunder
Date
1845
Dimensions
2924 in. (73.760.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Bird of Thunder
  • Indian — Ojibwa
Object Number
1985.66.536

Artwork Description

In the 1840s, George Catlin traveled to Europe to exhibit and promote his Indian Gallery; and during those years, delegations of Iowa and Ojibwe joined him. In the spring of 1845, Catlin took his Indian Gallery and the visiting Iowa to Paris, where their performances drew the interest of such cultural figures as Victor Hugo and Eugène Delacroix. When the Iowa returned to the United States, they were replaced by a group of Ojibwe, including Tempest Bird, Bird of Thunder, and Pelican. They so entertained King Louis Philippe that he asked them to perform for the royal family and invited Catlin to exhibit his collection at the Louvre.

Works by this artist (791 items)

Mary Vaux Walcott, Arnica alpina, 1905, watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1970.355.103
Arnica alpina
Date1905
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Not on view
Mary Vaux Walcott, Goldenpea (Thermopsis rhombifolia), 1923, watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1970.355.634
Goldenpea (Thermopsis rhombifolia)
Date1923
watercolor on paper
Not on view
Mary Vaux Walcott, Mountain Juniper (Juniperus sibirica), 1917, watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1970.355.424
Mountain Juniper (Juniperus sibirica)
Date1917
watercolor on paper
Not on view
Mary Vaux Walcott, Untitled--Plant Study, 1929, watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1970.355.222
Untitled – Plant Study
Date1929
watercolor on paper
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Mary Vaux Walcott, Arnica alpina, 1905, watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1970.355.103
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Dwinell Grant, Untitled, 1936, watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.31
Untitled
Date1936
watercolor on paper
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Alex Redein, Low Tide at the Flats, n.d., opaque watercolor and collage on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1972.137
Low Tide at the Flats
Daten.d.
opaque watercolor and collage on paper
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Mary Vaux Walcott, Mountain Juniper (Juniperus sibirica), 1917, watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1970.355.424
Mountain Juniper (Juniperus sibirica)
Date1917
watercolor on paper
Not on view