Catlin, George

Mah-To-Toh-Pa

George Catlin bio

George Catlin was an American painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West. Travelling to the American West five times during the 1830s, Catlin was the first white man to depict Plains Indians in their native territory. 

"The very use of the word savage, as it is applied in its general sense, I am inclined to believe is an abuse of the word, and the people to whom it is applied."
"I have seen him set fire to his wigwam and smooth over the graves of his fathers... clap his hand in silence over his mouth, and take the last look over his fair hunting ground, and turn his face in sadness to the setting sun."
  • Born: Jul 26, 1796 · Wilkes-Barre, PA
  • Died: Dec 23, 1872 · Jersey City, NJ