View of the Shore of the Amazon - Boat Sketch

George Catlin painted View of the Shore of the Amazon - Boat Sketch in 1863 as an oil sketch on card mounted on paperboard. The work remained in the artist’s family, passing from Catlin to his daughters Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin. In 1912 Elizabeth Wing Catlin sold it to the American Museum of Natural History, and in 1959 Kennedy Galleries, New York, sold it to Paul Mellon, who gifted the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1965.

The painting measures 47 cm by 62.5 cm and is catalogued in the National Gallery of Art’s collection.

View of the Shore of the Amazon – Boat Sketch is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The work entered the museum in 1965 as a gift from Paul Mellon, following its acquisition from Kennedy Galleries in 1959. Its accession number is not specified in the available documentation. Exhibition records are not detailed in the sources consulted, and no specific exhibitions have been identified for this painting in the provided references.

George Catlin, an American artist recognized for his extensive visual record of Native American cultures, created View of the Shore of the Amazon - Boat Sketch in 1862. This oil painting, executed on card and affixed to paperboard, captures a scene along the Amazon River, featuring a small vessel and a prominent tree. The work offers a glimpse into Catlin's later travels beyond North America.

Before embarking on his South American journeys, George Catlin established his reputation through detailed portrayals of indigenous life in the American West. His earlier career also included producing engravings of sites along the Erie Canal and contributing lithographs to Cadwallader D. Colden’s Memoir. This Amazonian sketch reflects his continued pursuit of documenting the natural world and its inhabitants, extending his artistic scope beyond his initial focus.