Bread, Chief of the Tribe

George Catlin, Bread, Chief of the Tribe, 1831, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.270
George Catlin, Bread, Chief of the Tribe, 1831, oil on canvas, 21 1⁄4 x 16 1⁄2 in. (53.9 x 42.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.270
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Bread, Chief of the Tribe
Artist
Date
1831
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
21 1⁄4 x 16 1⁄2 in. (53.9 x 42.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Indian — Oneida
  • Portrait male — Bread
Object Number
1985.66.270
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.270

Artwork Description

George Catlin probably painted this image of the Oneida chief Bread in Washington, D.C. in 1831. The artist found his subject to be “a shrewd and talented man, well educated---speaking good English---[he] is handsome, and a polite and gentlemanly man in his deportment.” Catlin also described Bread as “half-blood.” The artist apparently devoted some time to painting Bread, as the portrait is one of the most perceptive and carefully finished of the period. (Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)

Works by this artist (8 items)

View all artworks
Julian Stanczak, Conducive to Yellow, 1967, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.97
Conducive to Yellow
Artist
Date1967
acrylic on canvas
Not on view
Julian Stanczak, Suspended in Grays, 1975, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.101
Suspended in Grays
Artist
Date1975
acrylic on canvas
Not on view
Julian Stanczak, Majestic (Red and Blue), 1978, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.102B
Majestic (Red and Blue)
Artist
Date1978
acrylic on canvas
Not on view
Julian Stanczak, Four Cools, 1969, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.98
Four Cools
Artist
Date1969
acrylic on canvas
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Browse All Artworks
Robert Roberg, Babylon, the Great, is Fallen, 1992, acrylic, oil, tempera and glitter on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.28, © ca. 1990, Robert Roberg
Babylon, the Great, is Fallen
Artist
Date1992
acrylic, oil, tempera and glitter on canvas
Not on view
Roger Medearis, Judith, 1968, acrylic and egg tempera on Masonite, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. Philip Desind, 1986.90.3
Judith
Artist
Date1968
acrylic and egg tempera on Masonite
On view
Sister Gertrude Morgan, Let's Make a Record, 1971, tempera, acrylic, pencil, and ink on paperboard (album cover) vinyl (record), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak, 1981.136.5A-B
Let’s Make a Record
Artist
Date1971
tempera, acrylic, pencil, and ink on paperboard (album cover) vinyl (record)
Not on view
Sister Gertrude Morgan, Come in my Room, come on in the Prayer Room, ca. 1970, tempera, acrylic, ballpoint pen, and pencil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.186
Come in my Room, come on in the Prayer Room
Artist
Dateca. 1970
tempera, acrylic, ballpoint pen, and pencil on paperboard
Not on view