Buffalo Hunt 1898

Charles M. Russell created 'Buffalo Hunt' using oil on canvas, a traditional medium for Western art. Russell's energetic brushwork captures the chaos and intensity of the hunt. But the image also reveals a complex relationship with labor, politics, and consumption. Buffalo hunts were integral to the economies and cultures of Native American tribes, providing food, clothing, and materials for tools. By the late 19th century, however, the mass slaughter of buffalo by white settlers devastated these communities, eradicating their way of life and breaking treaties. Russell romanticizes this scene, yet it's impossible to ignore the profound impact of westward expansion on Indigenous populations. The act of painting itself—a luxury afforded by a society built on resource extraction—adds another layer to the narrative. By considering the materials, making, and context, we begin to understand the deeper meaning embedded in this seemingly straightforward depiction of the American West.