Three Woyaway Indians 1854 - 1869

Editor: Here we have George Catlin's "Three Woyaway Indians," made with watercolors sometime between 1854 and 1869. It feels almost ethnographic, yet the way they’re posed makes it clear that this is also a performance for the viewer. What catches your eye when you look at this, considering it was made at this specific historical time? Curator: The watercolor medium is very telling. Watercolors were relatively easy to transport; they allowed Catlin to create a visual record on the move. What's interesting is to consider the material availability versus the subject. Watercolor becomes not just a medium, but a logistical tool in this specific endeavor. How do the constraints of artistic production—the ease of use of watercolors versus, say, oils—affect the message of the work? Editor: That's a fantastic point. It frames the image-making as almost industrial; watercolors serving a specific purpose in cataloging these figures. Were there certain techniques that facilitated his ability to quickly and effectively create these portraits? Curator: Consider the relatively flat application of color and the minimal shading. This implies a faster, more pragmatic technique, prioritizing quantity over laborious detail. Think about the artist laboring under potentially difficult conditions. Were the subjects dictating the pace? Or the need to move on? Editor: So, rather than an attempt to purely reflect these figures, he captured something more about the environment in which they met, making art from resourcefulness. That makes me consider it less as an isolated artwork and more as an index to the circumstances surrounding it. Curator: Precisely. And by focusing on the production context, we begin to understand this piece not as a celebration, but as part of the historical and material forces that impacted both the artist and the subjects he portrayed. It redefines how we understand Catlin's artistic choices, wouldn't you say?