Artwork
Caddoe Indians Gathering Wild Strawberries
Caddoe Indians Gathering Wild Strawberries is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist George Catlin. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The composition depicts a genre scene featuring figures amidst a landscape characterized by the presence of trees.
Executed in 1861, this work is an oil painting applied on card that has been mounted onto a paperboard support. The composition depicts a genre scene featuring figures amidst a landscape characterized by the presence of trees. While specific details regarding the artist's brushwork, surface condition, or handling history are not explicitly detailed in the available records, the physical construction combines a flexible card substrate with a rigid paperboard backing. The resulting object presents a horizontal format, consistent with the dimensions recorded for the piece.
History & Provenance
George Catlin painted Caddoe Indians Gathering Wild Strawberries in 1861, working in oil on card mounted on paperboard. The work descended through Catlin's family to his daughters Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin. In 1912, the American Museum of Natural History purchased the painting from Elizabeth Wing Catlin.
The museum retained it until 1959, when it was sold through Kennedy Galleries in New York to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. Six years later, in 1965, Mellon gave the painting to the National Gallery of Art, where it has since remained in the collection.
Following its creation in 1861, the painting remained within the artist George Catlin's family until 1912, when the American Museum of Natural History purchased it from his daughter, Elizabeth Wing Catlin. The museum deaccessioned the work in 1959, selling it through Kennedy Galleries in New York to collector Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. Mellon subsequently donated the piece to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1965, where it currently resides in the permanent collection.
Overview
George Catlin's 1865 painting, Caddoe Indians Gathering Wild Strawberries, captures a moment of daily life among the Caddoe people. Executed in oil on card mounted on paperboard, this work is part of Catlin's extensive visual record of Native American cultures. It presents a quiet, observed scene of Indigenous individuals engaged in traditional harvesting, reflecting the artist's long-standing interest in documenting their customs and environment.
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays a group of Caddoe individuals engaged in collecting wild strawberries around a tree. This genre scene highlights a specific Indigenous harvesting practice, offering a glimpse into the traditional activities and communal aspects of their daily existence. The depiction emphasizes a serene moment, providing a visual record of cultural practices that were central to the lives of Native American communities.
Context
Originally trained in law, George Catlin dedicated his career to documenting Native American life. His significant travels through the American West in the 1830s resulted in numerous portraits and scenes, primarily of Plains Indians. Caddoe Indians Gathering Wild Strawberries, created much later in 1865, continues this lifelong project, contributing to his comprehensive visual archive of Indigenous peoples and their traditions.
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Artist & collection
Artist
George Catlin ( KAT-lin; July 26, 1796 – December 23, 1872) was an American lawyer, painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the American frontier.
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