Three Cheyenne Warriors 1861 - 1869

George Catlin painted "Three Cheyenne Warriors" using oil on canvas, a medium associated with European artistic traditions. However, the way Catlin uses it here is anything but traditional. He presents the three warriors with striking directness, and careful attention to their clothing and weaponry. The textures of tanned hide, feathers, and the sheen of hair are all rendered with remarkable clarity, bringing the figures to life. Catlin was an astute observer of cultural practices, but he was also an entrepreneur who sold his paintings widely, and reproduced them as prints. He made his career portraying a way of life that was under threat, as a result of colonial expansion and the rise of industrial capitalism. This painting is thus both a record and a commodity, revealing complex dynamics of labor, representation, and exchange. It reminds us that artworks are not just aesthetic objects; they are also products of specific social and economic conditions.