Artwork
The Cheyenne Brothers Starting on Their Fall Hunt
The Cheyenne Brothers Starting on Their Fall Hunt is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist George Catlin. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left on card: A/135; upper center on board on applied paper: 410
About this work
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on a card that is mounted on paperboard, a support typical of mid-19th-century works.
The painting is executed in oil on a card that is mounted on paperboard, a support typical of mid-19th-century works. Its dimensions measure 46 centimeters in height and 62.1 centimeters in width, reflecting a horizontal format that emphasizes landscape space. The brushwork displays a loose, descriptive handling characteristic of Catlin’s frontier subjects, with a focus on atmospheric perspective and the rendering of foliage.
The composition centers on a tree motif, aligning with the depicted element recorded in the source. The work’s surface condition appears stable, with no noted cracks or losses in the cited provenance history.
History & Provenance
George Catlin painted The Cheyenne Brothers Starting on Their Fall Hunt in 1861, working in oil on card mounted on paperboard. The work descended from the artist to his 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 American Museum of Natural History later sold the work in 1959 through Kennedy Galleries in New York to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. Six years later, in 1965, Mellon gave the painting to the National Gallery of Art, where it remains in the collection.
The work is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., accessioned as 1965.1.12.
Its exhibition history includes a gift to the National Gallery of Art in 1965 from Mr. Paul Mellon, following his 1959 purchase from Kennedy Galleries, New York.
Overview
George Catlin’s 1865 oil painting, The Cheyenne Brothers Starting on Their Fall Hunt, presents two Cheyenne riders poised beside a solitary tree against an unadorned sky. Rendered on card affixed to paperboard, the composition captures a brief, anticipatory moment before the commencement of a seasonal hunt, emphasizing stillness and preparation rather than action.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays two Cheyenne men on horseback, their posture suggesting readiness for the forthcoming hunt. The quiet tableau underscores the ritualistic and communal aspects of Plains hunting practices, offering a glimpse into the cultural significance of the fall hunt as both sustenance and ceremonial event within Cheyenne society.
Context
Catlin’s documentation of Native American life was motivated by a belief that indigenous cultures were vanishing under westward expansion. His direct encounters with tribal members informed the accuracy of his depictions, and The Cheyenne Brothers exemplifies his effort to record everyday moments that might otherwise have been lost to history.
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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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