War Dance, Sioux
1845-1848
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Accession Number
1985.66.457B
Tags
About this artwork
âEach warrior, in turn, jumps through the fire, and then advances shouting and boasting, and taking his oath, as he âstrikes the reddened post.ââ George Catlin probably sketched the scene near Fort Pierre in 1832, then created this painting in his studio several years later. (Catlin, 1848 Catalogue, Catlinâs Indian Gallery, SAAM online exhibition)
Art Historical Context
George Catlin’s *War Dance, Sioux* captures a dramatic moment from Plains Indian life, showing warriors leaping through fire and striking a reddened post as they shout oaths and boasts. Painted between 1845 and 1848, the work draws on sketches Catlin made near Fort Pierre in 1832 during his travels among the Sioux. The resulting studio painting preserves the intensity of the ceremony while translating fleeting observation into a lasting image. Catlin dedicated his career to documenting Native American cultures before widespread settlement altered them forever. His Indian Gallery, of which thi...
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 ...