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George Catlin
See-non-ty-a, an Iowa Medicine Man
1844–45
oil on canvas
Known as The Doctor, See-non-ty-a struck Catlin as a powerful and slightly terrifying member of the group, prone to disappearing in order to ascend to the roof and observe his surroundings. The hooded gaze captured in this full-frontal portrayal challenges the viewer in a manner unlike the rest of Catlin's portraits of the Iowa.
National Gallery of Art, Paul Mellon Collection |