Dying Buffalo Bull in a Snowdrift

George Catlin, Dying Buffalo Bull in a Snowdrift, 1837-1839, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.423
George Catlin, Dying Buffalo Bull in a Snowdrift, 1837-1839, oil on canvas, 20 x 27 3⁄8 in. (50.9 x 69.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.423
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Dying Buffalo Bull in a Snowdrift
Artist
Date
1837-1839
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
20 x 27 3⁄8 in. (50.9 x 69.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group — male
  • Western
  • Indian
  • Occupation — hunter
  • Landscape — season — winter
  • Animal — buffalo
Object Number
1985.66.423
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.423

Artwork Description

Winter buffalo hunts brought income from white traders and warm clothing provided by the animals’ luxuriant winter coats. In this dramatic image, George Catlin captured the hazards of hunting in ice and snow, depicting both hunter and prey as they lay dying in the winter landscape.

Works by this artist (2 items)

Henry Le Keux, John Martin, A Sudden Chasm, 1829, engraving, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Nigel Cholmeley-Jones, 1967.54.56
A Sudden Chasm
Artist
Date1829
engraving
Not on view
Henry Le Keux, William Henry Bartlett, St. Stephen's Church, Vienna, n.d., engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Nigel Cholmeley-Jones, 1967.14.38
St. Stephen’s Church, Vienna
Artist
Daten.d.
engraving on paper
Not on view

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George Catlin, Joc-o-sot, the Walking Bear, n.d., lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Museum of Natural History, Department of Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution, 1985.66.386,592BBB
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