Facsimile of a Pawnee Doctor's Robe

Catlin applied oil pigments to a card support, then adhered the painted surface to paperboard, a method that allowed for a relatively flat yet richly colored surface. The bright orange background and the frayed edges of the shield frame create a graphic, almost illustrative quality, while the figures are rendered with simplified outlines rather than detailed realism.

Catlin, an American lawyer‑turned artist, spent the 1830s traveling the western frontier documenting Indigenous peoples. Although best known for his portrait series, this 1865 piece reflects his ongoing interest in Native ceremonial objects. The painting’s later ownership and exhibition history remain undocumented in the available sources.