Beggar’s Dance, Mouth of Teton River

George Catlin, Beggar's Dance, Mouth of Teton River, 1835-1837, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.443
Copied George Catlin, Beggar's Dance, Mouth of Teton River, 1835-1837, oil on canvas, 19 1⁄2 x 27 1⁄2 in. (49.5 x 70.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.443
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Artwork Details

Title
Beggar’s Dance, Mouth of Teton River
Artist
Date
1835-1837
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
19 1⁄2 x 27 1⁄2 in. (49.5 x 70.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — river — Teton River
  • Ceremony — dance — Beggar’s Dance
  • Indian — Dakota
  • Ceremony — Indian
  • Figure group — male
Object Number
1985.66.443
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.443

Artwork Description

“This spirited dance was given, not by a set of beggars . . . but by the first and most independent young men in the tribe, beautifully dressed, (i.e., not dressed at all, except with their breech clouts or kelts, made of eagles' and ravens' quills) with their lances, and pipes, and rattles in their hands, and a medicine-man beating the drum, and joining in the song at the highest key of his voice. In this dance every one sings as loud as he can halloo; uniting his voice with the others, in an appeal to the Great Spirit, to open the hearts of the bystanders to give to the poor, and not to themselves; assuring them that the Great Spirit will be kind to those who are kind to the helpless and poor.” George Catlin painted this image based on sketches he made near Fort Pierre in 1832. (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 1, no. 30, 1841; reprint 1973)