February 28, 2007

An Artistic Propogandist

When I was in Washington DC the other day, I was absolutely knocked out to see most of what is referred to as "George Catlin's Indian Gallery." Catlin was a mid-19th-century painter. In the 1830's he made five trips to paint the Plains Indians. He saw them as the embodiment of the Enlightenment ideal of "natural man," living in harmony with nature.

Catlin feared - rightfully - that the pure life of the Plains Indians was being threatened by our nation's westward expansion, along with the Indian Removal Act that required Indians in the southeast to resettle west of the Mississippi River.

He not only used his great talent to record the look and life of the Plains Indians, but he also used his art as a way to raise awareness of the issue of their culture being destroyed.

He created "George Catlin's Indian Gallery," consisting of more than 500 stunning paintings. He toured the Gallery and tried unsuccessfully to sell it to Congress. Ulimately, he went bankrupt. After his death, his debts were paid by an industrialist, and the paintings were contributed to the Smithsonian. They are remarkable. And, seeing more than 300 of them hung densely on the four walls of just one gallery is absolutely staggering.

Catlin's efforts may not have saved the Plains Indians, but they speak eloquently today to the beautiful individuality of different cultures and the importance of embracing, celebrating, and preserving them.