Artwork
Spearing by Moonlight - Chaco
Spearing by Moonlight - Chaco is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist George Catlin. It dates from 1862 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1862, Spearing by Moonlight – Chaco is an oil painting executed on card that has been affixed to a paperboard support.
About this work
Technique & Style
The artwork is an oil painting executed on card that is mounted on paperboard, measuring 47 cm in height and 62 cm in width.
The artwork is an oil painting executed on card that is mounted on paperboard, measuring 47 cm in height and 62 cm in width. The surface functions as a painted scene depicting a tree under moonlight, rendered with a focus on atmospheric effects characteristic of Catlin’s later genre scenes. The handling of light and shadow emphasizes the nocturnal setting, while the formal composition relies on simplified forms and a limited palette to convey mood rather than detailed naturalism.
History & Provenance
George Catlin executed Spearing by Moonlight - Chaco in 1868 as an oil painting on card mounted to paperboard. Upon the artist's death in 1872, the work passed by descent to his daughters: Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin. In 1912, the American Museum of Natural History purchased the piece directly from Elizabeth Wing Catlin.
The museum retained the painting until 1959, at which point it was sold through Kennedy Galleries of New York to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. Mellon subsequently donated the work to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1965, where it remains in the collection.
Spearing by Moonlight - Chaco is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The work entered the museum's holdings in 1965 as a gift from Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. Prior to this acquisition, the painting was sold in 1959 through Kennedy Galleries in New York to Mellon. Its earlier provenance includes ownership by the artist George Catlin, followed by inheritance by his daughters, and a 1912 purchase by the American Museum of Natural History from Elizabeth Wing Catlin, which retained the piece until its 1959 sale.
No specific exhibition history or inventory accession numbers are provided in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1862, Spearing by Moonlight – Chaco is an oil painting executed on card that has been affixed to a paperboard support. The work belongs to the genre‑scene tradition, portraying a nocturnal tableau centered around a solitary tree under which figures are engaged in spearing. Its dimensions and modest materiality reflect the artist’s practice of producing portable images for a 19th‑century audience.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a quiet, moonlit moment in which individuals, likely members of a Native community, are shown spearing beneath the canopy of a lone tree. The stillness of the scene, emphasized by the subdued activity and the enveloping darkness, invites contemplation of nighttime rituals and the interplay between human activity and the natural environment.
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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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