George Catlin Native American Analysis

George Catlin has been called one of America's first ethnologists. His depictions of native Americans in the 1830s came at a time when very few images of Native Americans beyond the Mississippi River existed. Catlin made five trips west between 1830 and 1836 in which time he sketched enough images to create 450 oil paintings. With these paintings Catlin toured the U.S. And Europe from 1837 to 1845 showing people the "western Indian in his native habitat." At face value this appears to be a noble and educational pursuit to show people the cultures of the west. In reality however Catlin was no ethnologist and his sketches and paintings were loose approximations laced with political sentiments and theatrics for entertainment and profit. Catlin's memoirs show that he accepted the emerging national policy …show more content…
Catlin's own clothing is more hunters clothing that wealthy patrons could imagine themselves wearing instead of what actually was worn on the frontier. By changing the clothing and surroundings of the two men Catlin makes the scene identifiable as Native American, less threatening and more appealing to viewers. Similarly Catlin took great liberties when sketching Chief Osceola. Osceola was imprisioned and I'll when Catlin took time away from touring to paint him at Fort Moultrie. Catlin depicts Osceola as a heroic figure befitting a epic poem with his classical stance and costume. The painting shows no indication that Osceola was a defeated warrior imprisioned and dying. Catlin used his images to conjure bigger audiences. He felt that people "could be pursuaded to see entertaining images of people who were colorful and dramatic but who no longer threatened white