Buffalo Hunt 

Robert Julian Onderdonk’s “Buffalo Hunt” captures two bison locked in a struggle, painted during a period when the American West was undergoing rapid transformation. Onderdonk, a Texan artist, painted this scene amidst a cultural backdrop of romanticized notions of the frontier, but it is crucial to remember that the near extinction of the buffalo was a direct result of westward expansion and governmental policies aimed at displacing Indigenous populations. The painting presents a vision of untamed nature, yet it subtly reflects a complex interplay of power, ecological change, and cultural narratives. While it may appear to celebrate the ruggedness of the American West, there is also an underlying tension between the romanticized depiction and the harsh realities of environmental destruction and the forced removal of Indigenous peoples. The emotional charge of the painting lies in this paradox, urging us to confront the uneasy relationship between our perceptions and the historical impact of westward expansion.