George Catlin, Wáh-chees, a Brave, 1835 or 1836, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.233
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Wáh-chees, a Brave
- Artist
- Date
- 1835 or 1836
- 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
- Subjects
- Indian — Menominee
- Portrait male — Wah Chees
- Object Number
- 1985.66.233
Artwork Description
“The Menomonies. Like the Winnebagoes, are the remnant of a much more numerous and independent tribe, but have been reduced and enervated by the use of whiskey and the ravages of the small-pox, and number at this time, something like three thousand, living chiefly on the banks of Fox River, and the Western shore of Green Bay. They visit Prairie du Chien, where their annuities are paid them; and they indulge in the bane [of alcohol].” (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 52, 1841; reprint 1973)