Catlin and the Indians

Lawyer-turned-artist George Catlin visited American Indian tribes of the Great Plains during the 1830s to capture in pain images of the people and their way of life before it was too late. Catlin’s life was changed in 1828, on a visit to Philadelphia, when he encountered a delegation of Native Americans fresh from the wilds of the West, and he was inspired. His work shifted to a focus on Native Americans, and he declared: “I have designed to visit every tribe of Indians on the continent, if my life should be spared.” Now his monumental Indian Gallery can again be seen in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Learn more George Catlin’s life and art in this article, made available by The World & I Online.