Introduction
It is hard to discuss North American 19th-century history without mentioning Native Americans and their perspective on this period. Once powerful tribes were found scattered across the continent, being pushed farther from the white man’s cities. This is the state of the culture that was witnessed by the painter George Catlin. Coincidentally, the beginning of the 19th century was when Romanticism became one of the most prominent genres in art. George Catlin’s paintings represent the Romantic point of view on Native Americans’ stories and fates and explore the usual themes for this artistic movement through the prism of tribal history.
Characteristics of Romanticism in George Catlin’s Paintings
Heroism
One of the most essential characteristics of Romanticism is heroic individualism. It is noticeable that most of Catlin’s works are portraits presenting only one person. They are expressive, personal, and contain many costume details. However, as the Buffalo Bull’s portrait illustrates, the main features were the face and distinct cultural symbols, while the rest of the painting was sometimes left to finish during a later session (Catlin, 1832).
For Catlin, these were the main details that should have been painted before all the rest, as they were the most representative of the person. Their faces showed heroism and the struggle the tribes had to go through at this time, and their bland backgrounds accentuated their loneliness in the changing world. Therefore, the portrait composition and painting process are essential factors in analyzing Catlin’s works.
Nature
Another notable feature is the natural elements in the decorations. Many honor the mythological figures through epics with similar structures in closely related tribes. These resemblances are found in the Choctaw and Cherokee versions of the fire-invention stories. Both feature animals tasked to retrieve embers and fail and a spider that creates a container and returns as a savior (Judson, 2022; Three Feathers, 2012). All the non-human characters are treated as equals in these stories and have distinct personalities.
The impact of this mythos is undeniable and is represented through design elements and cultural features. This idealistic representation of nature is also a frequent theme in Romanticism. While this sentiment is usually reactionary to the scientific revolution, in Native American culture, this has been prevalent since the creation of folklore. However, this makes Catlin’s works even more representative of the Romantic movement, as his themes occurred naturally.
The Representations of Native Americans and Its Alignment with the Mood of the Period
The Cherokee Memorial
The cultural differences between Native Americans and the new continent’s citizens, combined with the power balance, make Catlin’s characters seem even more alienated from the modern world. Communication between these two societies was filled with tension and deteriorated by oppression. The dynamics of this relationship are illustrated by the Cherokee Memorial (Memorial of the Cherokee Nation, 1830).
The tribe was forced to move and leave their lands for the new cities to be built. It is crucial to notice the lack of understanding of Native Americans’ culture and the ignorance regarding the history of wars between different communities. This relocation later resulted in tension in the consequently overpopulated lands of modern Oklahoma.
In the memorial, the Cherokee representatives compare themselves to tenants who asked to be free of the territory and refuse to be treated as such (Memorial of the Cherokee Nation, 1830). They keep their pride in these trying times and push the aggressive world back. This bravery is also a theme of Comance Meeting the Dragoons (Catlin, 1834-1835). The Native American spirit is presented as strong and glorified, even in a tragic situation.
Pigeon’s Egg Head
The theme of an individual’s experience with the newcomer’s culture is researched in other works. Pigeon’s Egg Head (The Light) Going to and Returning from Washington features the result of this exchange (Catlin, 1837-1839). Once a proud tribe representative, he returned in a new suit with modern accessories. His original identity was lost in favor of societal status and the ambition to fit in with the newcomers.
The lack of cultural features and the caricatural proud pose signifies the author’s position on how white people affect the Indigenous communities. They destroy any sense of independence and originality and push the Western worldview onto those who choose to cooperate. This person becomes representative of the new culture between his original tribe and the newcomers’ society, leaving him alone without the choice to identify with any of them fully. The described process leaves any Native American lonely in a rapidly changing world of technology and innovation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Catlin’s works are purely Romantic, yet they explore Romanticism uniquely. Instead of looking for a character that becomes perfect for this genre, he finds a society that already contains these features in every individual. The historical context combines with the cultural background in unprecedented ways.
These similarities in themes benefit the work’s quality and make Catlin stand out among other movement authors. His perspective is filled with respect for the oppressed nations, and he paints them as heroes who challenge the world around them. His focus on facial expressions, natural motives, and less detailed backgrounds emphasizes the loneliness these individuals experience today when exploring their cultural identities.
References
Catlin, G. (1832). La-dóo-ke-a, Buffalo Bull, a grand Pawnee warrior[painting]. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., United States. Web.
Catlin, G. (1834-1835). Comanche meeting the dragoons[painting]. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., United States. Web.
Catlin, G. (1837-1839). Wi-jún-jon, Pigeon’s Egg Head (The Light) going to and returning from Washington[painting]. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., United States. Web.
Judson, K. B. (1913). The Myths and Legends of the Great Plains. Project Gutenberg. Web.
Memorial of the Cherokee Nation, December 1829. (1830). Web.
Grandmother Spider Steals the Fire (Creation story of the Choctaw People of Tennessee and Mississippi). (n.d.). Web.