Wah-pe-séh-see, Mother of the Chief

George Catlin, Wah-pe-séh-see, Mother of the Chief, 1830, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.247
George Catlin, Wah-pe-séh-see, Mother of the Chief, 1830, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.247
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Artwork Details

Title
Wah-pe-séh-see, Mother of the Chief
Artist
Date
1830
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
  • Portrait female — Wah Pe Seh See
  • Indian — Kaskaskia
Object Number
1985.66.247
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.247

Artwork Description

Wah-pe-séh-see was the mother of the Kaskaskia/Miami chief Kee-món-saw, or Little Chief (see 1985.66.246). George Catlin, who described her as “a very aged woman,” probably painted her portrait at Fort Leavenworth (in today’s Kansas) in 1830. (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 47, 1841; reprint 1973)

Works by this artist (744 items)

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William Zorach, Floating Figure, 1922, cast plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1968.154.3
Floating Figure
Artist
Date1922
cast plaster
On view
William Zorach, The Builder (study for Chase Bank), ca. 1960, cast and patinated plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1971.449.29
The Builder (study for Chase Bank)
Artist
Dateca. 1960
cast and patinated plaster
On view
William Zorach, Small Head, ca. 1958-1962, carved stone, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1968.154.9
Small Head
Artist
Dateca. 1958-1962
carved stone
On view
William Zorach, Child on a Pony, 1934, cast plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1971.449.19
Child on a Pony
Artist
Date1934
cast plaster
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