Two Ottoe Warriors

the the man The Pawnees live in four villages some few miles apart on the banks of the Platte river having their allies the Omahas and Ottoes so near to them as easily to act in concert in case of invasion from any other tribe and from the fact that half or more of them are supplied with guns and ammunition they are able to withstand the assaults of any tribe that may come upon them Of the Ottoes No way ke sug ga he who strikes two at once plate 143 and Raw no way woh krah the loose pipe stem plate 144 I have painted at full length in beautiful costumes the first with a necklace of grizzly bear's claws and his dress profusely fringed with scalp locks the second in a tunic made of the entire skin of a grizzly bear with a head dress of the war eagle's quills

Artist: George Catlin (1796-1872)
Print Type: Engraving
Signed: G. Catlin l/l in plate
Dated: Circa 1841
Origin: United States
Demensions: 6 1/4 x 10"
Subject: Native American Indians
Notes & Literature: George Catlin was the first artist to travel widely among the Plains Indians of North America and create an important body of paintings and graphics to illustrate their customs and artifacts. His purpose was both unselfish and romantic. He wanted, and labored unceasingly, to persuade his contemporaries that Native American culture should be honored and preserved. When Catlin first issued this portfolio in 1844, his animated, colorful, sympathetic views of Native Americans filled the void of imagery. Suddenly, Europeans and Americans were able to visualize the people and customs of whom they had read so extensively, and to gain a level of respect for the Native Americans, so often feared, misunderstood or misrepresented. The artist’s stunning lithographs ranged from portraits to depictions of tribal ceremonies, from the anecdotal to the idealized. Catlin appealed to his readers with the thrill of the hunt and the mystery of ritual, and conveyed his respect for his subjects masterfully. The immediacy of his images is irresistible, drawing viewers into the scenes and portraits with unprecedented intimacy. But even when Catlin issued the “North American Indian Portfolio,” just fifteen years after his expedition, his crusade to preserve America’s “Noble Savage” was failing. The Indians were beginning to give way to the expansion of the American frontier and to European disease. Because most of Catlin’s paintings and collections were destroyed by fire and neglect, his lithographs remain the principal medium by which his message was conveyed, and they have come to hold even greater significance today than when they were first published. Howes C255. Sabin 11536 & 11537.
Condition Report: Some light foxing. Very good
Subject References: Indian Tribes