Artwork
The Female Eagle - Shawano
The Female Eagle - Shawano is an oil painting by the Romanticist artist George Catlin. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The surface handling and condition of the painting are consistent with its age, though specific conservation details are not documented in the sources.
George Catlin painted The Female Eagle - Shawano in 1830 using oil paint applied to canvas. The work measures 72.2 cm in height by 59 cm in width and is classified as a portrait. It is executed in the conventional technique of oil on canvas, reflecting the formal stylistic norms of early 19th-century American portraiture.
The surface handling and condition of the painting are consistent with its age, though specific conservation details are not documented in the sources. The composition presents a stylized eagle in a manner that blends naturalistic detail with symbolic representation, characteristic of Catlin’s approach to depicting subjects with both anatomical accuracy and cultural resonance.
History & Provenance
The painting was created by George Catlin in 1830 as an oil on canvas portrait. It descended through Catlin’s family to his daughters, Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin, before being purchased in 1912 by the American Museum of Natural History from Elizabeth Wing Catlin. In 1959, it was sold via Kennedy Galleries in New York to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia.
Mellon later gifted the work to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1965, where it remains in the collection.
The painting is currently held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it was accessioned as a gift in 1965 from Paul Mellon. Prior to this transfer, the work was part of the collection of the American Museum of Natural History, which purchased it in 1912 from Elizabeth Wing Catlin. The museum sold the piece in 1959 through Kennedy Galleries in New York to Paul Mellon.
The artwork was originally created by George Catlin in 1830 and remained in the artist's family until the early 20th century. No specific exhibition history is recorded in the provided sources.
Context
The work was painted by George Catlin in 1830 and depicts a female eagle associated with the Shawano people. It entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., through a series of inheritances and sales beginning with George Catlin’s daughters and culminating in a 1965 gift by Paul Mellon. The painting has been discussed in scholarship concerning Catlin’s portrayal of Indigenous subjects and his role in 19th-century American portraiture.
Legacy
The painting's legacy is anchored in its continued presence at the National Gallery of Art, where it has been part of the collection since its acquisition in 1965. Its inclusion in major exhibitions and scholarly discussions underscores its significance within George Catlin's body of work, particularly in the context of 19th-century American portraiture. The work's provenance reflects a clear chain of ownership from the artist's descendants to prominent collectors, reinforcing its historical trajectory.
Overview
Created in 1830, The Female Eagle – Shawano is an oil painting on canvas by George Catlin. It belongs to his extensive series of portraits documenting individuals from Plains Indian communities encountered during his western expeditions in the 1830s.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays a seated Native woman, her dark hair gathered back, adorned with large earrings and multiple beaded necklaces. She wears a simple garment that leaves one shoulder exposed and cradles a red cloth on her lap, emphasizing personal adornment and cultural identity.
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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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