American Art Collaborative

George Catlin painted Black Hawk and his warriors when they were prisoners at Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis in October 1832. Catlin's visit to Jefferson Barracks must have taken place shortly after he returned from the Upper Missouri. With the experience of his most productive summer behind him, he turned to the Sac prisoners, painting them with a sure economy that emphasizes the oval geometry of their features and their shaven skulls. (Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979