Paul Kane (1810-1871) was a Canadian painter and writer. His works form a unique record of the appearance and customs of the Indians of western Canada in the middle of the 19th century.

Paul Kane was born on Sept. 3, 1810, at Mallow, County Cork, Ireland. His father, a soldier turned wine and spirit merchant, took him to York (Toronto) when he was eight, and it was here that young Paul had his first introduction to art, from Thomas Drury, the drawing master of the grammar school. From 1826 to 1830 Kane worked in a furniture factory in Cobourg, Ontario, and painted portraits of the local citizens in his spare time. In 1836 he set off on nine years of wandering, during which time he supported himself by his wits and his brush. His travels first took him south through the United States to New Orleans; from there he sailed for Marseilles in...