Mounted War Party Scouring a Thicket

About this artwork

George Catlin’s descriptions of Native Americans reveal his respect for the tribes and nations that he feared would soon vanish. “Every one of these red sons of the forest (or rather of the prairie) is a knight and lord . . . the only things which he deems worthy of his exertions are to mount his snorting steed, with his bow and quiver slung, his arrow-shield upon his arm, and his long lance glistening in the war-parade . . .” (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 1, no. 4, 1841; reprint 1973)

Art Historical Context

George Catlin’s *Mounted War Party Scouring a Thicket* (1846–1848) captures a dynamic scene of Comanche warriors on horseback, their forms alert as they move through dense terrain. Catlin, who traveled extensively among Native nations in the 1830s, painted this work to document what he viewed as vanishing traditions. His accompanying writings express deep admiration, describing these riders as “knights and lords” whose skill with bow, lance, and shield reflected both dignity and prowess. The painting belongs to Catlin’s broader effort to record Indigenous life before widespread displacement. ...

About the Artist

George Catlin · 1796–1872

George Catlin (1796–1872), born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to Putnam Catlin and Polly Sutton—who had been captured by Native Americans during the 1778 Battle of Wyoming—initially pursued a legal career. Trained at Litchfield Law School, he was admitted to the bar in 1819 but abandoned law after two years to study art in Philadelphia in 1823. Self-taught as a portraitist, Catlin quickly gained ...