Indian File - Iowa

George Catlin painted Indian File - Iowa in 1861, depicting a procession of American Indian delegates moving through Washington, D.C. The work is an oil on card mounted on paperboard, measuring 46.7 cm by 61.8 cm. It entered the National Gallery of Art's collection through a series of transactions beginning with its creation by Catlin, followed by descent to his daughters, a 1912 purchase by the American Museum of Natural History from Elizabeth Wing Catlin, a 1959 sale through Kennedy Galleries to Paul Mellon, and a 1965 gift to the museum.

The painting is part of Catlin's broader documentation of Native American subjects and diplomatic delegations during the 1830s-1860s, reflecting his interest in documenting indigenous cultures and political processes. It was included in a 1965 gift to the National Gallery of Art, where it remains in the collection today.

Created in 1865, Indian File – Iowa is an oil painting executed on card that has been mounted on a paperboard support. The work presents a small group of Native individuals moving across a grassy plain, rendered in a modest palette of earth tones with occasional red and blue accents.

The composition shows two staggered lines of figures: a nearer front row and a second row receding into the landscape. All are dressed in simple garments and feathered headpieces, some carrying bundles, suggesting a communal travel or procession across the Iowa territory.