George Catlin

George Catlin was an American Painter (1796-December 23, 1872) who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the American West. He left a law career to paint native americans and "to rescue from oblivion their primitive looks and customs." He formed some of the earliest wild west shows trying to highlight the plight of the indians and show their culture. Catlin travel the East Coast and Europe with his shows, showing more than 500 paintings. He went bankrupt and in 1852 he sold his works to a private collector who later donated them to the Smithsonian. His works were the only know western art of some tribes, including the Mandan tribe.