View of Chicago in 1837 1861 - 1869

George Catlin created this "View of Chicago in 1837" with pen and watercolor, depicting a landscape charged with the complex interactions of settlement and indigenous life. Catlin painted this scene during a period marked by westward expansion and the displacement of Native American tribes. Here we see a depiction of indigenous figures in the foreground which are juxtaposed against the nascent architecture of early Chicago. Catlin was an artist who traveled extensively among Native American tribes documenting their customs. Yet, his work often romanticized Native American life, even as it participated in the erasure of indigenous presence through documentation. The painting invites reflection on the simultaneous visibility and erasure that has shaped the history of Native Americans. Consider how the act of viewing and representing is deeply intertwined with histories of power, dispossession, and cultural change.