The Garden Arbor 1889

Richard Friese captured this herd of bison in a detailed drawing, freezing a moment of their existence for our contemplation. The bison, a symbol of the untamed wilderness, is rendered with stark realism against the backdrop of a wild arbor. Consider the bison itself: a creature that once roamed freely across vast plains. Its image appears in the earliest cave paintings, representing sustenance and the raw power of nature. This symbol reverberates through history, finding its way into heraldry, folklore, and modern national emblems. The stoic posture of the bison may evoke a sense of melancholic resilience, tapping into our collective memory of nature. This emotional depth invites us to reflect on the cyclical nature of cultural symbols and their ability to connect us to both the primal past and the evolving present.