Artwork
War Dance of the Apachees
War Dance of the Apachees is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist George Catlin. It dates from 1862 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Created in 1862, this work is an oil painting executed on card that has been mounted onto a paperboard support. The piece measures 46.3 cm in height and 60.8 cm in width. Classified as a genre scene, the artwork depicts a specific cultural event through the medium of oil paint applied to a rigid, composite surface rather than traditional canvas.
History & Provenance
The museum retained the work until 1959, when it was sold through Kennedy Galleries in New York to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia.
Executed in 1862, War Dance of the Apachees is an oil on card by George Catlin. The work descended within Catlin's family to his daughters, Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin, until 1912, when the American Museum of Natural History purchased it from Elizabeth Wing Catlin. The museum retained the work until 1959, when it was sold through Kennedy Galleries in New York to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia.
Mellon donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1965, where it currently resides in the permanent collection.
Overview
Created in 1862, War Dance of the Apachees is an oil painting executed on card that has been mounted to a paperboard support. The work belongs to the American folk‑art tradition and records a ceremonial gathering of Apache participants rather than a combat scene. Its composition shows a large group moving in a circular pattern across an open field, framed by tents, sparse trees and a cloud‑filled sky.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a communal dance, with central figures leading the ritual while others follow in concentric motion. Attire combines animal skins and feathered adornments, and vivid red garments punctuate the predominantly earth‑tone palette. By portraying this moment of cultural performance, the artist emphasizes the vitality of Apache ceremonial life and offers a visual record of indigenous tradition observed during the mid‑nineteenth‑century frontier era.
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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.
Bulls Fighting
Expedition Encamped on a Texas Prairie. April 1686
An Alligator's Nest
Mrs. George Catlin (Clara Bartlet Gregory)
Chief of the Taensa Indians Receiving La Salle. March 20, 1682
A Small Village - Payaguas Indians
Omaha Chief, His Wife, and a Warrior
Father Hennepin Leaving the Mississippi to Join La Salle. May 8, 1680
