View in the ​“Cross Timbers,” Texas

George Catlin, View in the "Cross Timbers," Texas, 1832 or 1834-1835, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.362
Copied George Catlin, View in the "Cross Timbers," Texas, 1832 or 1834-1835, oil on canvas, 11 1⁄4 x 14 3⁄8 in. (28.5 x 36.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.362
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
View in the ​“Cross Timbers,” Texas
Artist
Date
1832 or 1834-1835
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
11 1⁄4 x 14 3⁄8 in. (28.5 x 36.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — river
  • Western
  • Landscape — Texas — Cross Timbers
Object Number
1985.66.362
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.362

Artwork Description

George Catlin traveled widely throughout the frontier, but never crossed into Texas, as the title of this painting implies. “Cross Timbers” probably refers to a location in Comanche Territory, where the artist journeyed in 1834. The conformation of the bald hills resembles Catlin's earlier views of the Upper Missouri, and the painting is of the same small size as the other landscapes in that series. (Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)