Five Maya Indians

George Catlin

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a group of five people, four standing and one seated. They are standing upright and appear to be posing for the portrait. The person on the far left is a male with shoulder-length hair, wearing minimal clothing that covers his waist and hips, adorned with red paint on his body, and has several necklaces. The male next to him has longer hair and wears a wide-brimmed straw hat, a necklace, and holds a bow. The individual beside them is a female with long hair, wearing necklaces, a skirt, and also holds a basket and an arrow. In the background, a seated woman and a standing child can be seen with landscape elements like trees and foliage around them. The seated person wears a wide-brimmed hat and minimal clothing similar to others. The background suggests a natural setting with vegetation and a misty sky. The scene is framed in a circular format within a rectangular mat, bordered by a wide band with catalog numbers above and to the lower left.