Game of the Arrow - Mandan

The painting entered the National Gallery of Art's collection in 1965 after being acquired by Paul Mellon, a prominent American philanthropist, via the Kennedy Galleries in New York. This acquisition, documented in the artist's provenance, reflects the work's growing recognition within major American institutions. Its presence in the National Gallery of Art underscores its lasting reputation as an important example of 19th‑century genre painting and contributes to the broader understanding of George Catlin's body of work.

The documented chain of ownership from the artist's descendants to a national museum illustrates the painting's enduring legacy in the canon of American art.

George Catlin's 1865 painting, Game of the Arrow – Mandan, is an oil on card mounted on paperboard. This work, classified as American folk art, captures a genre scene featuring Mandan men engaged in a traditional stick-and-ball game. Catlin, an artist known for his extensive documentation of Native American cultures, created this piece later in his career, reflecting his ongoing interest in indigenous life on the American frontier.

The painting portrays a group of Mandan men participating in a dynamic stick-and-ball game within an open field. Players wield long-handled implements to strike a small ball, with a solitary, bare-branched tree anchoring the background. Catlin intended this depiction to highlight the peaceful and recreational aspects of Mandan culture, emphasizing the game as a communal activity rather than a combative encounter.

Before creating this 1865 work, George Catlin undertook five significant journeys across the American West during the 1830s. During these expeditions, he extensively documented the lives of Plains Indian communities through numerous portraits and genre scenes. Game of the Arrow – Mandan thus represents a distinct phase in Catlin's artistic trajectory, diverging from his earlier, more intensive fieldwork while maintaining his focus on Native American subjects.