Four Mura Indians 1854 - 1869

This watercolour, "Four Mura Indians," was created by George Catlin. The composition immediately strikes us with its arrangement of figures; two men stand flanking a woman and child, creating a tableau that is both formal and intimate. Catlin uses subtle gradations of color to define the figures against a light backdrop. The lines are crisp, delineating the subjects with ethnographic precision. This image operates within a complex semiotic system. The subjects are adorned with specific markers of cultural identity, such as headdresses and body paint. Catlin's choice of medium – watercolour – lends the image a sense of immediacy. The artist seems to want to capture the very essence of the Mura people. The formal qualities of this artwork invites us to consider how Catlin both documents and interprets the subjects. The artist’s representation leaves us to ponder about the nature of cultural representation itself.