Lengua Medicine Man with Two Warriors 1854 - 1869

George Catlin created “Lengua Medicine Man with Two Warriors” using watercolor and graphite. Catlin, a lawyer-turned-artist, traveled extensively in the American West during the 1830s, documenting the lives and customs of numerous Native American tribes. His portraits and scenes offer a glimpse into a way of life that was rapidly changing due to westward expansion and governmental policies. In this artwork, the figures are rendered with careful attention to their regalia and weaponry, reflecting Catlin's interest in portraying what he saw as authentic cultural details. However, it's important to remember that Catlin's work is also shaped by his own cultural biases and the colonial context of his time. While Catlin aimed to document, his work also perpetuated certain stereotypes and romanticized notions about Native Americans. The emotional complexity of these portraits lies in their simultaneous attempt to preserve a vanishing culture and their entanglement with the power dynamics of colonization.