Artwork
Three Micmac Indians
Three Micmac Indians is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist George Catlin. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Executed in 1861, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a card support, which is subsequently mounted onto a paperboard backing.
Executed in 1861, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a card support, which is subsequently mounted onto a paperboard backing. The work functions as a painted genre piece, adhering to the artist's documentary approach to Indigenous subjects. Physically, the composition measures 45.8 cm in height and 61.6 cm in width.
The mounting technique suggests a method intended to stabilize the thin card substrate, a practical handling choice for works produced during the artist's later period. The medium combination of oil on card distinguishes it from his more common canvas works, reflecting specific material constraints or intentions at the time of creation.
History & Provenance
The oil-on-card painting Three Micmac Indians was made by George Catlin in 1861 and is recorded as Catlin’s own work.
The work descended within 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. It was later sold in 1959 through Kennedy Galleries in New York to Paul Mellon, who gifted it to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, in 1965, where it remains.
The painting Three Micmac Indians is currently held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Its provenance traces from the artist George Catlin to his daughters, before being purchased in 1912 by the American Museum of Natural History. The work was sold in 1959 through Kennedy Galleries in New York to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia, who subsequently gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1965.
The source material does not provide a specific accession or inventory number for the work, nor does it document any exhibition history.
Overview
George Catlin’s 1865 work Three Micmac Indians is an oil painting executed on card that has been mounted on paperboard. The composition presents three figures positioned in an open landscape beneath a cloudy sky. The central male figure grips a spear, a woman on the left carries an infant on her back, and a figure on the right is seated with a bow. Their attire reflects traditional Micmac dress.
Subject & Meaning
The painting records a moment in the daily life of the Micmac people, a tribe of the northeastern Atlantic coast. By depicting a mother with child, a hunter, and a seated individual, Catlin emphasizes familial roles and the continuity of cultural practices. The outdoor setting underscores the connection between the community and their 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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