George Catlin, Wée-Ke-Rú-Law, He Who Exchanges
1832
George Catlin captured the striking presence of Wée-Ke-Rú-Law—whose name translates to 'He Who Exchanges'—during his ambitious 1832 journey up the Missouri River. Notice the bold red ochre painted across one side of his face and the elaborate feathered headdress, rendered with urgent brushstrokes to document a culture he feared was vanishing. Holding a ceremonial pipe, this portrait is a key piece of Catlin's massive 'Indian Gallery,' a pioneering and somewhat romanticized effort to preserve Native American likenesses before westward expansion swept them away.
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