Black Hawk and Five Other Saukie Prisoners

The painting entered the National Gallery of Art collection in 1965 through the gift of Paul Mellon. Its presence in a major American institution has contributed to scholarly attention on Catlin's body of work, particularly his portraits of Native American subjects from the 1830s-1840s. The work remains part of the National Gallery of Art's permanent holdings in Washington, D.C.

Created in 1865, this oil painting on card, later affixed to paperboard, portrays Black Hawk alongside five fellow Sauk captives. The six figures stand in a linear arrangement, their expressions solemn, bound together by metal chains and weighted restraints. A muted landscape with a cloud‑filled sky forms the backdrop, emphasizing the figures without elaborate scenery.

The work records a moment of confinement for the Sauk leader Black Hawk and his companions during their imprisonment after the 1832 conflict. By presenting them in traditional attire, feathered headdresses, ornamental jewelry, the artist underscores their cultural identity even as they are reduced to prisoners, inviting reflection on the clash between native sovereignty and U.S. expansion.

Catlin’s career was shaped by his travels across the western frontier in the 1830s, during which he recorded numerous Native American subjects. By the 1860s, his focus shifted toward depicting the consequences of U.S. policies toward Indigenous nations, and this composition reflects that later, more somber perspective within his broader oeuvre.