Myra Pena

Nov. 19, 2009

Art Analysis Paper

In the Denver Art Museum, there is one artwork that is more controversial than the rest.

In the western American level, of the north building, a man named George Catlin, created “The

Cutting Scene, Mandan O-kee-pa Ceremony 1832”. Some people find the artwork outrageous,

while others see the truth behind a cultural practice. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to form

an opinion over this piece of artwork.

As Catlin’s work comes to view, it becomes obvious the piece is a painting. Catlin uses

oil paints on canvas to create the piece. The origin of the painting goes back to the Missouri

river. The painting reflects an event that takes place in the year, 1832. The actual painting is not

a big one, roughly a foot and a half by two feet. In the actual picture, the teepee is quite large. It

fits at least twenty men, a couple plants, and a fire. There is even more room within the teepee.

The men are smaller in size to the teepee, which is to be expected. To achieve the structure in the

painting, space is created by making the teepee long and narrowing out. This also allows depth to

be created along with the combination of overlapping and vertical placement. The men overlap

each other as though to talk to one another. The vertical placement reflects how the men are

generally in a circle. The men are there to witness a proud moment. The painting is in

atmospheric perspective, rather then it being linear. This is merely because of the detail in the

art. There is no level of the eye to catch. The clearest axis to follow is to go vertical. Starting

from the center where the two young men are hanging, it brings the eyes down to the other men.

The men who are watching have their bodies and eyes towards the two hanging, so it brings the

viewer back to the center. When it finally gets to the tip of the teepee, the vertical lines on the

teepee lead back down. It makes the eye go around in circles that always goes back to the two

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hanging men. The implied lines going throughout the paint create a sense of movement for your

eyes. The outlined edges of the teepee walls keep the eye going up and down. The dancing like

positions of the arms on the men watching, make sure all eyes revolve around the two other men.

The curving effect of the smoke from the fire even makes the eye center on the two men.

Because the picture involves people, the shapes are much more organic. Because of the

asymmetry, the shapes make sense to be irregular. The people do overlap each other, typical of

people trying to talk to each other. There are only four colors in the painting. There is a lot of

brown, some red and very little green and white. The colors are analogous, meaning adjacent to

each other. The colors make the scene look dark and to the serious attitude in the painting.

Because it is a painting, it shows implied textures. The artist uses smooth and rough strokes to

give more feeling to the painting. The walls of the teepee look smoother and give the whole

ceremony a sense of respect. The roughness in the two men hanging show pain and discomfort in

the experience.

The painting depicts a ceremony of the Mandan people. Because of the ritual, the

painting represents a cultural/religious element. It may even be a historical event because these

young men are being courageous enough for the better of the community. This will make the

young men highly regarded for the rest of their lives. The most obvious thing that can

characterize the artwork is the color. The colors are dark and neutral, making the art look like a

painful event. These men are being put through excruciating pain, as others simply watch. The

only sense of hope comes from the green in the plants. This symbolizes that despite the

gloominess and hurt, something good will comes out, the community will be safe.

The painting does evoke certain principles of design. The first is unity and variety. There

is a sense of unity because the men of the community are there with the other two to witness the

great ceremony. The variety is in the two hanging men. These men are experiencing a sense of

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tough respect, as everyone else watches. There is a hint of asymmetrical balance from the bottom

of the piece to the top. All the action of the painting is near the bottom, leaving the top to be

simple and empty. Repetition and rhythm are clearly visible through the men in the circle. All the

men have their eyes to the center. Even the body languages are pointing to the center. The

emphasis is to be on the two young men, and the artist does well to establish it.

Because of the overlapping of the people and their positions in a circle, it makes this

ceremony quite important and special. The most important detail is in fact that the piece keeps

the eyes moving, and gives it more feeling. Not only does it allow you to see the expression out

of all the aspects in the art, but it instills a feeling for yourself. The artist wants you to see more

than the pain of the two young men by looking closer; you see that the ceremony is a proud

thing. In the painting, the analogous colors of brown and red reflect the symbolism of the piece.

The brown makes the painting look very dark and makes the concept of the ceremony even more

realistic. Even the skin colors of the men match the walls. They are mocha color to emphasis the

neutrality of the people. The red from the blood shows not only pain, but passion about the

ceremony. These hurting men are doing a great deal and volunteered to be a part of the event.

The willingness of the men shows their commitment to the community. Then from the hints of

green from the plants, it gives a sense of hope. It represents a new life, or in this case, revival of

the Mandan people. Despite the pain the men go through, something good will come out of all of

the sacrifice. When it comes to the lighting, the only source seems to come from the little fire in

the center of the circle. The light creates a shadowing effect throughout the teepee. It represents

how just because it is a little fire, it can bring a lot of light, like what the two men are doing.

They are just two people acting for a big cause. The landscape and space of the painting is very

naturalistic. The teepee is relatively bigger than the people. The people are to scale with the use

of the teepee and the plants. With the use of shadowing does a sense of implied motion appear.

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When the fire casts a dancing smoke, the plants swaying, and the different shadows of the mend

is there movement. This ceremony is a celebration and does not have to be completely serious.

Because of the artist uses oil paint allows him to get greater detail. He is able to get light and

darker effects. The balance in the painting is quite exceptional. Everything is to scale and

proportion really well. The people match the size of the fire. Everything other than the two

hanging men is seen smaller to lessen their importance. The proportion of the entire painting

reflects a key event in a big community. This is just one ritual the Mandan perform, but it has a

big impact. The scaling and proportion justifies that. Considering all the aspects the artist puts in

his painting, it is more understandable and more interesting. It does evoke a sense of shock, yet it

is a cultural thing. It makes the art more appreciative.

Overall the artist’s intent is clear. The artist is depicting a single event of a single culture.

Catlin is showing a Mandan ceremony and what it will do. To my own interpretation, simply

seeing two hanging men, bleeding with pins piercing at their skin means it is depicting an

important event. Whether it is a positive or negative event is something to further interpret

through some background knowledge. Because of that knowledge, you will learn that it is visual

of a ceremony for this particular group of people. These men do experience a vast amount of

pain, but at the end will be rewarded. The two men will be looked up to and be heroes to the

community. It ties back to the interpretation of being an important event.

Ultimately, when viewing a piece of artwork means you judge if it is good or not.

Because knowing if an artwork is good or not depends on the individual’s taste, each person’s

criteria differs. The criterion that I like to follow is simple and obvious. The first thing to take

into account is if it attracts an individual and makes that person want to stop. The second thing is

really to think about what the artwork is trying to evoke. A better way to put it is if the artwork

makes you think. It is good to consider the elements incorporated in the piece too. All the things

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come together and people stop and look. For this particular painting, the hanging men made me

stop. The painting looked as though the two men in it were dead. But I felt like the men were

dying in honor because of the other men that were watching in a circle. But because of the little

description next to the painting, I learned something different. The two young men are not dead,

but it is an honorable thing the two men are doing. The two young men are ensuing goodness for

their community. But the thing that made me think was why the piece would be so controversial.

The artist is depicting something he sees as interesting, and people need to respect that. So after

everything to consider and the criteria to keep in mind, the painting is great. It does what every

artwork needs to do. Not every person is supposed to agree will art and there should be

controversy. It makes art what art is; an expression of the artist. This piece, by Catlin, does just

that. Its controversy makes the painting memorable, and I am one more person who will

remember the Mandan ceremony painting.

Works Cited

Exactly object location: Seventh floor, Western American, North Building

Object accession number: 2001.456

Artist information: George Catlin, American, 1796-1872

Artwork information: Painting, oil on canvas, 1832, n/a