Peh-tó-pe-kiss, Eagle’s Ribs, a Piegan Chief

George Catlin, Peh-tó-pe-kiss, Eagle's Ribs, a Piegan Chief, 1832, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.160
Copied George Catlin, Peh-tó-pe-kiss, Eagle's Ribs, a Piegan Chief, 1832, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.160
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Artwork Details

Title
Peh-tó-pe-kiss, Eagle’s Ribs, a Piegan Chief
Artist
Date
1832
Location
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 — Piegan
  • Portrait male — Eagle’s Ribs
  • Indian — Blackfoot
Object Number
1985.66.160
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.160

Artwork Description

A slight tilt of the head and a direct gaze reflect this sitter’s self-assurance. George Catlin admired Eagle’s Ribs as a brave warrior, writing that he was “one of the extraordinary men of the Blackfoot” and that he owned “eight scalps, which he says he has taken from the heads of trappers and traders with his own hand.” Catlin also noted that the chief’s ornate costume was covered with scalplocks both “savage and civil.” (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 1, no. 5, 1841; reprint 1973)