The Griffin Entering the Harbor at Mackinaw. August 27, 1679

The painting was produced in 1850 by George Catlin, who depicted the 1679 arrival of the Griffin at Mackinaw. The work descended through Catlin's family after his death in 1872, passing to his daughters Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin. In 1912, the American Museum of Natural History purchased the canvas directly from Elizabeth Wing Catlin.

The museum later deaccessioned it in 1959, selling it through Kennedy Galleries in New York to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. Mellon donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art in 1965, where it remains in the collection.

The work is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it is recorded as accession number 1965.13.1.

It entered the Gallery’s collection in 1965 as a gift from Mr. Paul Mellon, who had acquired it in 1959 via Kennedy Galleries, New York, from the Catlin family heirs.

The painting entered the National Gallery of Art in 1965 after Paul Mellon’s gift, having previously passed through the artist’s family, the American Museum of Natural History, and private hands. Its presence in the NGA’s permanent collection places it among the institution’s holdings of George Catlin’s work, ensuring ongoing access for scholars and the public. As a result, the work continues to contribute to Catlin’s reputation as a chronicler of early American maritime and frontier life, maintaining its visibility in the narrative of nineteenth‑century American art.

George Catlin's 1848 oil on canvas, "The Griffin Entering the Harbor at Mackinaw. August 27, 1679," presents a distinctive marine scene. This painting depicts a mythical griffin arriving at a harbor, surrounded by boats and trees. It represents a departure from Catlin's more typical subjects, combining elements of fantasy with a realistically rendered landscape.

George Catlin, an American artist who transitioned from law, dedicated much of the 1830s to documenting the American frontier. His extensive travels resulted in numerous portraits of Native Americans and detailed landscape scenes. "The Griffin Entering the Harbor at Mackinaw" stands out within his oeuvre as a unique exploration of historical narrative and imaginative subject matter, diverging from his more direct ethnographic observations.