Similarities Between Garles Bird King And George Catlin

Charles Bird King and George Catlin traveled west into Native American lands to paint portraits of the indigenous people. Artist during this time were fascinated with Native Americans and their different style of culture. The portraits of Native American chiefs by these two artist share similarities and differences in composition and subject matter. These paintings share a similar subject matter with both of the men being chiefs of their tribe. The artists chose the chief because they are the figurehead of the Native American tribe and lifestyle. The chiefs are both dressed in Native garb and are carry weapons as a show of their strength. These paintings contrasted in their composition by having different mediums and perspectives. “A
major change in materials also occurred in the middle of the century with the widespread introduction through trade of paper and new pigments.”(pg.169) In his works Caitlin used black oil based paint to render his image of the Native American chief Mah-to-toh-Pa. This differs from King who used colored oil based paint to create the image of the Native American chief Keokuk Sac. Additionally, Caitlin adds himself and the tribe to the image changing the perspective and making the painting a self-portrait. While these paintings share a similar subject matter their choice of composition led to two distinct styles of paintings.