Artwork
Puncah Indians
Puncah Indians is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist George Catlin. It dates from 1861 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: Geo. Catlin. 1861.
About this work
Technique & Style
Painted in 1861, the work is executed in oil on a card support that was later mounted onto a paperboard, a handling characteristic of portable studies intended for fieldwork or studio assembly. The dimensions (47.2 × 62.3 cm) place it within the size range typical of Catlin’s ethnographic portraits, where direct observation and bold, descriptive modeling of features were prioritized over elaborate background detail. Stylistically, the painting adheres to Catlin’s documentary mode: the sitter’s attire and accessories are rendered with linear clarity, and the facial features are sharply defined, aligning with his documented practice of recording Indigenous subjects for both ethnographic and portraiture markets.
History & Provenance
In 1959 the museum sold the work through Kennedy Galleries, New York, to Paul Mellon, Upperville, Virginia.
The painting was executed by George Catlin in 1861 as a portrait of a Puncah individual.
By 1912 it belonged to Catlin’s daughters, Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin, from whom it was purchased that year by the American Museum of Natural History. In 1959 the museum sold the work through Kennedy Galleries, New York, to Paul Mellon, Upperville, Virginia. Mellon gifted it in 1965 to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it remains.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it is accessioned as 1965.1.12. It was previously in the collection of Mr. Paul Mellon, Upperville, Virginia, who acquired it in 1959 through Kennedy Galleries, New York, from the American Museum of Natural History; the museum had purchased it in 1912 from Elizabeth Wing Catlin, one of the artist’s daughters.
Its exhibition history is not documented in the cited sources.
Overview
Created in 1861, this oil painting on card, later mounted on paperboard, depicts three figures dressed in traditional Native attire against a muted blue‑green backdrop. The central figure is distinguished by a headdress and a fur garment, while the flanking individuals wear white dresses adorned with differing patterns and accessories. The work is catalogued under the title “Puncah Indians.”
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents three members of a Native community, likely representing a specific tribal group, engaged in a quiet pose on a grassy surface. The varied clothing suggests a blend of ceremonial and everyday dress, offering insight into the cultural expressions and identity markers of the people portrayed.
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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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