Lay-láw-she-kaw, Goes Up the River, an Aged Chief
1830
George Catlin traveled thousands of miles into the American frontier in the 1830s, racing against time to document Native American cultures before westward expansion wiped them out. In this striking portrait, the aged chief Lay-láw-she-kaw stares out with a weathered, dignified expression, his stretched earlobes holding massive hoops and a white fur cloak draped casually over his shoulder. Catlin’s brushwork captures every wrinkle and the intricate patterns of his headband, offering a rare, intimate glimpse into a world that was rapidly disappearing.
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