Hól-te-mál-te-téz-te-néek-ee, Sam Perryman (Creek Chief) (1834) by George Catlin

Hól-te-mál-te-téz-te-néek-ee, Sam Perryman (Creek Chief) - George Catlin - 1834

Artwork Information

TitleHól-te-mál-te-téz-te-néek-ee, Sam Perryman (Creek Chief)
ArtistGeorge Catlin
Date1834
Art MovementRealism

About Hól-te-mál-te-téz-te-néek-ee, Sam Perryman (Creek Chief)

The artwork titled “Hól-te-mál-te-téz-te-néek-ee, Sam Perryman (Creek Chief)” was created by George Catlin in 1834, epitomizing the Realism art movement through the genre of portraiture. This painting by Catlin, an artist known for his documentation of Native American cultures, represents a significant example of his dedication to capturing the likenesses and attire of indigenous peoples.

The artwork captures the dignified presence of Sam Perryman, a Creek Chief, with a keen attention to detail and realism that characterizes Catlin’s work. The chief is portrayed with a serene and introspective expression, suggesting a moment of calm repose or perhaps a gentle authority. His attire is vividly colored and richly adorned; he wears a blue garment embellished with red and white accents, indicative of his status and cultural identity. Striking features of his regalia include a patterned headband, large circular earrings, and a fringed shawl draped gracefully around his shoulders. The painter’s use of texture and color vividly conveys the tactile qualities of the chief’s clothing and accessories.

The background of the artwork is subdued and nondescript, a common stylistic choice in portraiture of the time, which serves to focus the viewer’s attention entirely on the figure of Perryman. The soft brushwork and the muted background contrast with the sharpness and clarity with which the chief is rendered, highlighting the Realist aim to capture subjects truthfully without idealization.

In summary, the artwork is a strikingly real representation of Sam Perryman, a Creek Chief, executed with the descriptive precision characteristic of the Realism movement, and it provides a window into the unique attire and bearing of a key figure within indigenous North American societies of the 19th century.

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