Artwork
Kickapoo Indians Preaching and Praying
Kickapoo Indians Preaching and Praying 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
George Catlin executed Kickapoo Indians Preaching and Praying in 1865 using oil paint applied to a card support, which was subsequently mounted on paperboard.
George Catlin executed Kickapoo Indians Preaching and Praying in 1865 using oil paint applied to a card support, which was subsequently mounted on paperboard. The work measures 47.3 cm in height and 63.9 cm in width. Classified as a genre scene, the painting depicts a tree and focuses on the religious activities of the Kickapoo people.
The physical construction involves the layering of the painted card onto a rigid paperboard backing, a technique that stabilizes the smaller sheet for display and preservation. This specific medium and support combination reflects Catlin's varied approaches to documenting Indigenous life during his later career.
History & Provenance
George Catlin painted Kickapoo Indians Preaching and Praying in 1865 in oil on card mounted on paperboard. The work descended from the artist to his three 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 later sold it in 1959 through Kennedy Galleries in New York to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. Mellon gave the painting to the National Gallery of Art in 1965, where it remains in the collection under accession number 1965.16.1.
Its exhibition history is limited to institutional holdings; no public exhibitions are recorded in the documented provenance.
Overview
George Catlin's 1865 painting, Kickapoo Indians Preaching and Praying, is an oil on card work mounted on paperboard. It portrays a group of Indigenous individuals engaged in a moment of worship beneath a tree. This piece belongs to Catlin's later body of genre scenes, reflecting his sustained interest in documenting Native American life and customs during a period of significant change.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures several Kickapoo individuals kneeling in prayer or contemplation under a large tree. Their hands are clasped and eyes closed, conveying a moment of deep reverence, with one figure holding a pipe. Catlin aimed to portray the daily lives and spiritual practices of Native American communities, and this scene evokes a sense of quiet dignity and respect for their beliefs.
Context
George Catlin, originally trained as a lawyer, dedicated much of his career to documenting Native American cultures. His extensive travels through the American West in the 1830s profoundly influenced his artistic focus, particularly on Plains Indian life. This 1865 work, created later in his career, exemplifies his enduring commitment to ethnographic observation and his desire to record Indigenous 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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