George Catlin, born Wilkes-Barre, PA - Ballplayers-no. 21 - unknown - T-Shirt

A monochrome lithograph by George Catlin shows three Native American men in ceremonial dress, standing in a row and holding lacrosse sticks.

Visual Elements & Composition

The scene sits in a horizontal rectangle and is built from parchment cream, graphite grey and a pale grey shadow tone. Cream dominates the field, with the graphite shading defining the figures. Feathered headdresses, fringed breechcloths and belts, and hide-fringed sashes with fringed tails give each figure its own silhouette, and the three men stand shoulder to shoulder so the eye moves steadily across the row.

Meaning & Symbolism

The game shown is a traditional ball game played by Indigenous peoples of North America, known historically as a precursor to modern lacrosse. Catlin, a 19th-century American painter, recorded these games during his travels in the 1830s, and the work belongs to his Indian Gallery, a series devoted to preserving the customs of tribes before westward expansion changed them. The ball game was more than recreation: it was a communal ritual of physical skill and collective spirit, and often a social or diplomatic gathering. The ceremonial dress and sticks mark the players as participants in that gathering rather than passing spectators.

On the Unisex Heavy Cotton Tee

A figure-led scene like this reads best at close range, the way a viewer leans in to follow the detail of headdresses and fringe. On a tee, the three standing figures sit across the chest, so the composition is seen in full as the wearer moves through the day, with the cream field keeping the grey linework crisp.