BALCH— THE ART OF GEORGE CATLIN. . 147 



He started in 1832 and wandered all over the plains as far as 

 the Rocky Mountains, living with the Indians for nine or ten years 

 and all the while painting their portraits and making pictures of all 

 the different phases of their life. For some years after this he was 

 occupied in exhibiting these pictures in America and Europe, and 

 also in writing and publishing several important books.* In the 

 "fifties" he traveled extensively in South America, principally in 

 the regions of the Orinoco and the lower Amazon, where his brush 

 once more was ceaselessly busy. After this again he wrote nu- 

 merous valuable contributions to the knowledge of the Indians of 

 North America and South America and also traveled about exhibit- 

 ing his collection. After his death, the greater part of his pictures 

 fortunately passed into the possession of the Smithsonian Institution 

 in Washington and of the American Museum of Natural History 

 in New York City. 



Almost all of the hundreds of pictures painted by Catlin are of 

 the same size, about 19 by 25 inches. Almost all are painted length- 

 wise, not upright. In his more elaborate compositions he covered 

 the entire surface. But in many cases he painted an oval picture, 

 which he framed with a black line. He may have used the oval 

 shape because he recognized either consciously or unconsciously 

 that the eyes do really see an oval rather than a rectangle ; or because 

 he thereby avoided certain difiiculties in filling corners ; or he may 

 have found that the oval shape sometimes assisted the composition ; 



* Catlin's most important publications are as follows : 



" Catlin's North American Indian Portfolio," London, 1844. 



" Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs and Condition of the 

 North American Indians," New York, 1844. 



" Illustrations of the Manners, Customs and Condition of the North 

 American Indians," London, 1845-1848. 



" Life Amongst the Indians," 1861. 



" Illustrations of the Manners, Customs and Condition of the North 

 American Indians," London, 1866. 



" Last Rambles amongst the Indians of the Rocky Mountains and the 

 Andes," New York, 1867. 



"0-Kee-Pa: a Rehgious Ceremony and other Customs of the Mandans," 

 Philadelphia, 1867. 



" Catlin's Notes of Eight Years' Travel and Residence in Europe," New 

 York, 1867. 



" North and South American Indians. Catalogue," etc., New York, 

 Baker and Godwin, 1871. 



