La Salle Assassinated by Duhaut. May 19, 1686

Its early ownership passed by descent to Catlin’s daughters Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin.

The painting was created in 1850 by George Catlin, who depicted a tree in the work. Its early ownership passed by descent to Catlin’s daughters Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin. The piece was purchased in 1912 from Elizabeth Wing Catlin by the American Museum of Natural History, then sold in 1959 through Kennedy Galleries, New York, to Paul Mellon of Upperville, VA, and finally gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1965.

The painting is part of the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington, D.C., where it has been held since its purchase in 1912. It was acquired from Elizabeth Wing Catlin and later gifted to the institution in 1965. The work has been displayed in exhibitions at the National Gallery of Art, including a showcase of George Catlin's oeuvre, highlighting its historical significance within the museum's collection.

George Catlin’s oil on canvas, titled La Salle Assassinated by Duhaut, May 19, 1686, was completed in 1848. Though best known for his 19th‑century sketches of Native American life, Catlin turned to a historical subject, portraying the violent death of the French explorer René Rochambeau La Salle during a frontier clash in the late 17th century.

The canvas centers on a figure in a dark coat lying on the ground, surrounded by a small group. One attendant kneels, clutching a blood‑stained sword, suggesting the moment of the explorer’s killing. The work reflects the broader narrative of European incursion and conflict with Indigenous peoples in the early colonial period.

The assassination of La Salle by the Iroquois leader Duhaut marked a pivotal moment in French colonial expansion. By the mid‑19th century, American audiences were fascinated by frontier stories, and Catlin’s work catered to that appetite, linking past colonial encounters to contemporary notions of national identity.