George Catlin (1796–1872) was an American painter, author and traveler who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Catlin was fascinated with Native American culture from a young age. He began depicting them in art in the 1820s, and between 1830 and 1836 he visited almost fifty Plains Indians tribes in the American west. From his experiences, he produced a collection of over five hundred paintings which he exhibited on tour. These works are now housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.Painting: William Fisk