Mandan Civil Chief, His Wife, and Child

George Catlin

National Gallery of Art

The image shows two adults and an infant. The adult on the right is standing in a frontal pose, wearing an elaborate feathered headdress. Their hair is long, straight, and dark, cascading down their shoulders. They are dressed in a decorative outfit with fringes extending to the ground, and are holding a long implement adorned with feathers in their left hand. The adult on the left is standing and appears to be facing slightly to the right, with their hair also long, straight, and dark. They are wrapped in a patterned blanket and holding a small infant in their arms. The infant is mostly wrapped and has a visible, small face with features that are not detailed. The background features a grassy area with a domed structure with an entrance, suggesting a plains setting, and the sky is slightly cloudy. The entire scene is encased in a softly shaded oval frame within a rectangular border.