George Catlin 62 High Resolution Images

George Catlin’s paintings provide a vivid window into the lives and cultures of Native American peoples. With remarkable detail and sensitivity, Catlin captured their customs, ceremonies, and landscapes, preserving invaluable historical and artistic records for future generations.

This download features 62 hi-res images in JPEG format by the artist George Catlin.

The images are all 600dpi and range in size from 2864 pixels wide/tall to 6908 pixels wide/tall.

Click on the link above to see a full list of the images.

The pictures are out of copyright and in the public domain, so you are free to use them in whatever way you’d like, including commercial use.

George Catlin (1796-1872) was a pioneering American artist, traveller, and ethnographer whose work provides an invaluable visual record of Native American life in the nineteenth century. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Catlin trained as a lawyer but soon abandoned the profession to pursue his passion for art and adventure. He became fascinated by Native American cultures after encountering a delegation of Indigenous leaders in Philadelphia in 1824. Convinced that the traditional ways of Native Americans were under threat from westward expansion and government policy, Catlin resolved to document their lives before they disappeared.

Between 1830 and 1836, Catlin made five extensive journeys across the American West, often travelling in arduous conditions. He visited more than fifty different tribes, including the Mandan, Sioux, Blackfeet, and Cheyenne, among many others. Catlin produced hundreds of paintings and sketches during his travels, focusing on portraits, ceremonies, landscapes, and daily activities. His paintings are notable for their attention to detail and their respectful, empathetic portrayal of his subjects. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Catlin sought to capture Indigenous people as individuals, rather than as stereotypes.

Read our full George Catlin biography.