George CatlinAmerican, 1796–1872Wash-ka-mon-ya, Fast Dancer, a Warrior
Can I see it?
Unknown
Where is “Wash-ka-mon-ya, Fast Dancer, a Warrior” now? Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. Unknown.
Washington, D.C., United States
The owner is known; whether it is on view today is not.
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
Fast Dancer was among a group of Iowa warriors and their families who joined George Catlin in London in the 1840s, where the artist had traveled to exhibit and promote his Indian Gallery. The Iowa arrived in London fully equipped with clothing, domestic implements, weapons, canoes, and plenty of face paint. The handprints on Fast Dancer’s chin and cheeks probably signify that he had killed an enemy in hand-to-hand combat.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 1985.66.520
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Image: Smithsonian American Art Museum — CC0
In the life of George Catlin
The whole life1844
Catlin’s North American Indian Portfolio
He publishes a portfolio of 25 plates with hunting scenes of the West.
1845
Death of his wife Clara and a son in Paris
In Paris his wife Clara, whom he had married in 1828 and who had accompanied him on one of his journeys west, dies of consumption, as does their youngest son. The remaining children are taken in by his wife’s relatives.
1845
Moves to Paris
He moves with his family from England to Paris.
