Catlin, George

(born July 26, 1796, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., U.S.—died Dec. 23, 1872, Jersey City, N.J.) U.S. painter and author. He practiced law briefly before becoming a self-taught portrait painter in Philadelphia (1823). Long interested in Native American life, in 1830 he began a series of visits to various tribes on the Great Plains. He produced some 500 paintings and sketches based on his travels and exhibited them in the U.S. and Europe. In 1854–57 he traveled to Central and South America; in 1858–70 he lived in Europe. He published several illustrated books on Native American life. Most of his collection was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution for its ethnographic and historical interest.

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