Pacapacurus Village 1854 - 1869

Curator: We're looking at George Catlin's watercolor, "Pacapacurus Village," created between 1854 and 1869. Editor: There’s a distinct calmness to this. The hazy greens and yellows create an almost dreamlike field, and the soft rendering in watercolor certainly amplifies this atmosphere. Curator: Catlin’s placement of the village huts contributes to that serenity. Their simple A-frame construction, echoed in the triangular roofs, seems to root the village within the broader structure of the natural world, emphasizing horizontality and balance. Editor: I notice that he uses subtle variations in shading to suggest form and depth, but the architectural styles themselves are suggestive of impermanence; are these simple dwellings reflective of a more nomadic culture? What about the figures? Two figures are lying down. A third one standing off in the distance. Curator: Indeed, Catlin was dedicated to documenting Indigenous cultures of the Americas, making this piece quite telling in this context. Perhaps these figures lying down signify leisure and storytelling. The placement, at a ground-level angle, provides the sense of vastness and abundance of land that this culture is fortunate to possess. Editor: I’m curious about the use of the oval frame; the interior design emphasizes the picturesque quality of the scene and subtly invites viewers into a kind of ethnographic vision of a culture different than our own, a means of framing and "containing" this world for easier consumption, if you will. Curator: I agree. It's difficult to dismiss that historical context, though Catlin's formal techniques create an immersive representation; the watercolor medium offers soft, atmospheric interpretations with coloristic sophistication to a far away place, providing both knowledge and access to lands in South America during the 19th century. Editor: The simplicity of the landscape and the quietness of its representation also offer a peaceful, nostalgic appeal; a longing for an almost primal past. It speaks to us in a way beyond its ethnographic value. Curator: I would have to agree; these harmonious design structures combined with landscape are captivating on many fronts. Editor: I will not look at horses relaxing quite the same way again.