Kay-a-gís-gis, a Young Woman

George Catlin, Kay-a-gís-gis, a Young Woman, 1832, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.183
Copied George Catlin, Kay-a-gís-gis, a Young Woman, 1832, oil on canvas, 29 x 24 in. (73.7 x 60.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.183
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Artwork Details

Title
Kay-a-gís-gis, a Young Woman
Artist
Date
1832
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 — Kay A Gis Gis — bust
  • Portrait female — Kay A Gis Gis
  • Indian — Ojibwa
  • Dress — Indian dress
Object Number
1985.66.183
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.183

Artwork Description

George Catlin described Kay-a-gís-gis as “a beautiful young woman pulling her hair out of braid.” Catlin painted this portrait at Fort Union in the upper Midwest in 1832, and it was one of his first attempts to show facial expression. The woman’s smile, somewhat forced, but engagingly shy and self-conscious, is an indication of the artist's growing perception of individual qualities among subjects whose appearance had not been critically examined before. (Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)