George Catlin, born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania,
studied law before turning his love of the outdoors into his life's
work. He sold his law library and went to Philadelphia to
teach himself the art and craft of painting. (click here for more)
His career as a miniaturist took
another unexpected turn when his obsession with Indians rescued him
from a life as a salon portrait painter. Catlin's
studies of life in the West - as the vanguard of society was
reaching distant Indian civilizations - would leave future
generations a picture of life among the tribes on the north and
south American continent before the European settled Indian lands
and turned the wilderness into town and cities, ranches and
farms.