Athapasca Chief, His Wife, and a Warrior 1855 - 1869

George Catlin made this painting, ‘Athapasca Chief, His Wife, and a Warrior’ using oil on canvas. The artist spent much of the 1830s traveling the American West, and became known for his portraits of Native Americans. In this painting, Catlin depicts an Athabascan chief, his wife, and a warrior. Athabascans are an indigenous group from Northwestern Canada. As we look closer, the painting offers us more than just a picture of a Native American family. It serves as a historical document, reflecting the cultural attitudes of 19th-century America. The subjects are portrayed in a noble, dignified manner, yet they are also presented as exotic and unfamiliar. This reflects the contradictory attitudes of the time, in which Native Americans were both admired for their way of life and viewed as obstacles to westward expansion. To fully understand this painting, we can look to the anthropological research of the time, and consider the institutional history of museums in shaping views of indigenous peoples. This work asks us to reflect on the complex relationship between art, culture, and power.