Interior of an Amazon Forest - Zurumati 1854 - 1869

George Catlin painted this 'Interior of an Amazon Forest' using oil on canvas. The dense foliage dominates the scene, yet the eye is drawn to the figures amidst the trees, their skin painted in striking red. Red, throughout history, has been more than just a color. In ancient cultures, it symbolized life force, vitality, and power, often used in rituals to invoke strength and courage. Think of the cave paintings of prehistoric man, where red ochre was used to depict animals and hunters, connecting them to the primal energies of the hunt. We see this same color in the robes of emperors, or the vestments of cardinals, and the symbolic meaning shifts from life to power, or to piety. Catlin's Amazonians, daubed in this primal hue, evoke a sense of untamed vigor, of humanity intertwined with the raw power of the natural world. Like a visual echo, the color reminds us of our deep, collective past. Through this color, Catlin taps into the universal memory of our species.