Mandan Attacking a Party of Arikara

George Catlin, Mandan Attacking a Party of Arikara, 1832-1833, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.464
Copied George Catlin, Mandan Attacking a Party of Arikara, 1832-1833, oil on canvas, 19 5⁄8 x 27 1⁄2 in. (49.7 x 70.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.464
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Mandan Attacking a Party of Arikara
Artist
Date
1832-1833
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
19 5⁄8 x 27 1⁄2 in. (49.7 x 70.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group — male
  • Western
  • State of being — evil — war
  • Indian — Mandan
  • Indian — Arikara
Object Number
1985.66.464

Artwork Description

George Catlin described the location of the attack as “a ravine, near the Mandan village.” Catlin may have observed an Indian skirmish during his visit to the Mandan village in 1832, but the painting is most likely a studio fabrication. (Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)