Mrs. Putnam Catlin (Mary ​“Polly” Sutton)

George Catlin, Mrs. Putnam Catlin (Mary "Polly" Sutton), 1825, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund, 1939.2.1
Copied George Catlin, Mrs. Putnam Catlin (Mary "Polly" Sutton), 1825, watercolor on ivory, sight 3 1⁄8 x 2 5⁄8 in. (8.0 x 6.7 cm) rectangle, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund, 1939.2.1
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Mrs. Putnam Catlin (Mary ​“Polly” Sutton)
Artist
Date
1825
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 3 1⁄8 x 2 5⁄8 in. (8.0 x 6.7 cm) rectangle
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Keywords
  • Portrait female — Catlin, Putnam, Mrs. — bust
  • Portrait female — Sutton, Polly — bust
Object Number
1939.2.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1939.2.1

Artwork Description

In 1778, Catlin’s mother, Polly Sutton, and grandmother were captured by Indians at the surrender of Forty Fort, a stronghold built on a bluff above the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. There, the Battle of Wyoming had been fought against the combined forces of the British and Indians. Polly Sutton’s stories entranced her son George, and inspired his interest in Native American culture, as did visits to the Catlin home by various soldiers and explorers during the artist’s youth.