Battle Between Sioux and Sac and Fox

George Catlin, Battle Between Sioux and Sac and Fox, 1846-1848, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.545
Copied George Catlin, Battle Between Sioux and Sac and Fox, 1846-1848, oil on canvas, 26 1⁄4 x 32 1⁄2 in. (66.7 x 82.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.545
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Battle Between Sioux and Sac and Fox
Artist
Date
1846-1848
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
26 1⁄4 x 32 1⁄2 in. (66.7 x 82.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group — male
  • Western
  • Animal — horse
  • State of being — evil — war
  • Indian — Sioux
  • Indian — Sauk and Fox
Object Number
1985.66.545
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.545

Artwork Description

George Catlin prized the authenticity of his depictions of Native Americans, and cited the “historical fact” that the Sioux warrior “killed and scalped on his horse’s back.” Catlin painted this work in Paris between 1846 and 1848, when he was creating dramatic, more highly finished paintings for a European clientele hungry for the romance of the American West. (Catlin, 1848 Catalogue, Catlin’s Indian Gallery, SAAM online exhibition)