Artwork
The Female Eagle - Shawano
The Female Eagle - Shawano is an oil painting by the Romanticist artist George Catlin. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1830, *The Female Eagle – Shawano* is an oil painting on canvas by George Catlin. It belongs to his extensive series of portraits documenting individuals from Plains Indian communities encountered during his western expeditions in the 1830s.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays a seated Native woman, her dark hair gathered back, adorned with large earrings and multiple beaded necklaces. She wears a simple garment that leaves one shoulder exposed and cradles a red cloth on her lap, emphasizing personal adornment and cultural identity.
Technique & Style
Catlin employs a restrained background, allowing the figure’s face and jewelry to dominate the composition. The oil medium renders subtle flesh tones and the reflective quality of the beads, while the limited setting underscores the portrait’s focus on individual character rather than narrative scenery.
History & Provenance
A former lawyer who turned to art, Catlin made five trips westward in the 1830s, producing works that served as visual records of Native American life. This painting emerged from that period of fieldwork and was later incorporated into collections that preserve his ethnographic visual legacy.
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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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