W’y-ee-yogh, Man of Sense, a Brave

George Catlin, W'y-ee-yogh, Man of Sense, a Brave, 1832, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.259
Copied George Catlin, W'y-ee-yogh, Man of Sense, a Brave, 1832, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.259
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Artwork Details

Title
W’y-ee-yogh, Man of Sense, a Brave
Artist
Date
1832
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
Keywords
  • Indian — Iowa
  • Portrait male — Man of Sense
Object Number
1985.66.259
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.259

Artwork Description

George Catlin described Man of Sense as “another of this tribe [Iowa], much distinguished for his bravery and early warlike achievements. His head was dressed with a broad silver band passing around it, and decked out with the crest of horsehair.” Catlin further described the subject as having “a handsome pipe in his hand, and bears' claw necklace on his neck.” He probably painted this work at Fort Leavenworth (in today’s Kansas) in 1832. (Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)