A tiny corner shot of my 3′ x 2′ painting, the first of my “Indigenous Dance” inspired series. Stay tuned for the complete painting which I plan on posting soon. Any guesses to what culture this painting may be inspired by? Any suggestions for a culture that you would like to see in this series? Cheers!
Tagged with Painting …
George Catlin: Looking at Art to Understand the Past
A video by americanartmuseuam on conserving a George Catlin painting
Anthropologists have used the work of artists to help better their understandings of the past. One of the most well-known artists for depicting the prehistoric plains groups is George Catlin. Catlin’s paintings provide a realistic representation of past human activities of indigenous people that had very little contact with Europeans. In addition to his artwork, Catlin documented his experiences. The combination of reports and visuals provided by George Catlin has been beneficial to learning about past human activities.
I find Catlin’s work to be appealing. There is no way of denying his artistic abilities. His paintings have captured moments of the past that have been presented to me over and over again throughout my college experience. I find myself intrigued not only by the mediums and methods of his work, but by the details which help expand my knowledge of the culture. Many anthropologists and artists share my appreciation for Catlin’s work. Not only that, but these paintings have helped spark an interest on the subject matter for the general public as well. Catlin’s work is found in international museums and conservators assure that the paintings are preserved. Catlin painted many Native American tribes and some of his best work was created along the Missouri River.
My favorite piece regarding the Midwest from an anthropological and artistic perspective is “Mandan Ceremony”. This image provides anthropological information on the okipa ceremony and a visual of the brave young men participating in self-torture. (See image above).
The fact that I appreciate George Catlin’s work and his contributions to prehistoric knowledge does not mean I do not recognize his errors. Catlin believed that the Mandan had contact with the Celtics and thought they were affiliated with Christianity. He also reported that he believed the Mandan were related to the Welsh due to their fair skin and bowl shaped boats. In a way I respect his ability to compare and contrast, but it is clear he had very little evidence for such a strong claim. Of course, my opinion is from hindsight and with training on archaeological methods.
Even with these negative observations, Catlin’s artwork and documentations are beneficial to the studies of the prehistoric Plains. His work provides visuals for many aspects of indigenous life including rituals, dances, ceremonies, gender, regalia, material culture, resources, and the environment including flora and landscape in various viewpoints including aerial views, birds eyes views, and close ups. We can use his examples when researching and teaching about the Plains. Catlin’s paintings can be utilized by archaeologists along with the physical artifacts to create a bigger picture for the prehistoric village life. Having the early detailed images is an advantage to our understandings. In addition, Catlin’s work provides a good example of why it is important to acknowledge biases when analyzing past representations of cultures.
What do you think of George Catlin?
Anthropology Gallery 