American Indian Life: Paintings by George Catlin

August 3 – December 31, 1980
East Building, Ground Floor, Northeast, Pod I (2,000 sq. ft.)

This exhibition is no longer on view at the National Gallery.

Overview: 53 paintings by Catlin were selected from the Gallery's collection of 351 works by the artist that Paul Mellon had given to the museum in 1965. On view were portraits of Indians, landscapes, and scenes of tribal activities. Also included were 26 paintings by the artist depicting the voyages of the 17th-century French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle. Commissioned by King Louis Philippe of France, the paintings of La Salle’s voyages had not been shown as a group at the Gallery before.

Attendance: 47,043