Portraits of a Grizzly Bear and Mouse, Life Size

George Catlin, Portraits of a Grizzly Bear and Mouse, Life Size, 1846-1848, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.603
Copied George Catlin, Portraits of a Grizzly Bear and Mouse, Life Size, 1846-1848, oil on canvas, 26 5⁄8 x 32 1⁄2 in. (67.5 x 82.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.603
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Artwork Details

Title
Portraits of a Grizzly Bear and Mouse, Life Size
Artist
Date
1846-1848
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
26 5⁄8 x 32 1⁄2 in. (67.5 x 82.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — mouse
  • Animal — portrait
  • Animal — bear
Object Number
1985.66.603
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.603

Artwork Description

George Catlin included two grizzly bears in the eight tons of material for his Indian Gallery that he brought to England in 1839. But the bears were destructive pests and Catlin eventually sold them to London’s Zoological Gardens in October, 1840. European audiences had to content themselves with life-size portraits such as this, in which the presence of a familiar, if bold, little mouse establishes the bear’s huge size.