Artwork
Orejona Chief and Family
Orejona Chief and Family is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist George Catlin. It dates from 1862 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1862, this oil painting on card, later mounted on paperboard, depicts an Orejona chief accompanied by four family members.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1862, this oil painting on card, later mounted on paperboard, depicts an Orejona chief accompanied by four family members. The figures stand side by side against an unadorned light‑green and beige backdrop, each rendered with minimal shading and a flat application of color characteristic of mid‑nineteenth‑century American folk portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The work records a small group from the Orejona tribe: a chief holding a staff, a younger male with a paddle, and three other members, all barefoot and adorned only with modest jewelry or feather ornaments. By labeling each figure with alphabetic initials, the artist provides a catalog‑like identification, emphasizing ethnographic observation over narrative storytelling.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on a thin card support, the painting employs a straightforward, linear approach with limited modeling. Color fields are applied uniformly, producing a flattened visual effect that aligns with the folk‑art aesthetic prevalent among itinerant American painters of the period.
History & Provenance
The piece belongs to the larger corpus of George Catlin’s visual record of Native American peoples. Catlin, originally trained as a lawyer, undertook five western expeditions in the 1830s, during which he amassed a substantial collection of portraits and genre scenes intended to document tribal customs before their anticipated disappearance.
Context
Created during the Civil War era, the painting reflects Catlin’s ongoing commitment to preserving Indigenous identities amid rapid westward expansion. While the composition is modest, it serves as a visual supplement to his written accounts, which aimed to counter contemporary stereotypes by presenting individuals with dignity and specificity.
Artist & collection
Artist
George Catlin ( KAT-lin; July 26, 1796 – December 23, 1872) was an American lawyer, painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the American frontier.
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