Biography of GEORGE CATLIN
CATLIN, George, painter, born in Wilkesbarre, PA, in 1796; died in Jersey
City, NJ, 23 December 1872. He studied law at Litchfield, Connecticut, but
after a few years practice went to Philadelphia and turned his attention to
drawing and painting. As an artist he was entirely self-taught. In 1832 he
went to the far west and spent eight years among the Indians of Yellowstone
River, Indian Territory, Arkansas, and Florida, painting a unique series of
Indian portraits and pictures, which attracted much attention on their
exhibition both in this country and in Europe. Among these were 470
full-length portraits and a large number of pictures illustrative of Indian
life and customs, most of which are now preserved in the National Museum,
Washington. In 1852-57 Mr. Catlin travelled in South and Central America,
after which he lived in Europe until 1871, when he returned to the United
States. One hundred and twenty-six of his drawings illustrative of Indian
life were at the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876. He was the author of "Notes
of Eight Years in Europe" (New York, 1848);" Manners, Customs, and Condition
of the North American Indians" (London, 1857); "The Breath of Life, or
Mal-Respiration" (New York, 1861); and " O-kee-pa : A Religious Ceremony, and
other Customs of the Mandans" (London, 1867).
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