General William Clark 1832 oil National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution NPG.71.36    Like other artists before him, Catlin initially painted Indian delegations that came east to negotiate with the U.S. government in Washington. Catlin, however, wanted to encounter Indians in their own territory. In 1830 he traveled to St. Louis and met General William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame who was then serving as superintendent of Indian affairs. Clark became his mentor, showing Catlin his Indian museum, introducing him to the American Fur Company, and taking him on trips among the Indians. The trip opened the door to his future western travels.