Old Menomonie Chief with Two Young Beaux 1861 - 1869

George Catlin's "Old Menomonie Chief with Two Young Beaux" (1861-1869) depicts three Menominee Native Americans, painted in a romanticized style characteristic of Catlin's work. The chief, seated in the foreground, smokes a pipe, while two younger men stand behind him, one holding a spear and the other a tomahawk. The painting is framed in an oval, suggesting a portrait-like composition, highlighting the importance of preserving these cultural traditions. Catlin, a prolific artist of the 19th century, is known for his extensive documentation of Native American cultures, capturing their ways of life before western expansion.