Mrs. George Catlin (Clara Bartlett Gregory)

About this artwork

Clara Bartlett Gregory (1807-1845) met and married George Catlin in her hometown of Albany, New York, while he was there to paint Governor De Witt Clinton. It is likely that this miniature was painted during their courtship or just after their marriage in 1828. Despite her frail health, she accompanied her husband on one of his five journeys west and supported his efforts to capture the likenesses of Native Americans. She and their youngest son died while visiting Paris in 1845, a loss that deva...

Art Historical Context

This delicate miniature portrait, painted by George Catlin around 1828, captures his wife, Clara Bartlett Gregory, in a tender bust-length view. Created during their courtship or shortly after their marriage in Albany, New York—where Catlin had traveled to paint Governor De Witt Clinton—it reflects the intimate personal side of the artist before his fame as a chronicler of Native American life. Miniature paintings like this, often executed on ivory in fine detail with watercolor or enamel, were cherished 19th-century keepsakes, symbolizing devotion and portability for loved ones. Clara, born in 1807, defied her frail health to join Catlin on one of his arduous western expeditions, supporting his mission to document Indigenous peoples through portraits and sketches. Her unwavering companionship fueled his groundbreaking work, now housed in collections like the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Tragically, she and their youngest son died in Paris in 1845, a profound loss that shadowed Catlin's later years. As a rare glimpse into Catlin's early portraiture—before his focus on vanishing cultures—this piece highlights the human heart behind his historic legacy, blending personal affection with the era's refined artistic traditions.

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 ...