Buffalo Hunt 1844

George Catlin made this watercolor and graphite drawing, Buffalo Hunt, during his travels in the American West in the 1830s. Catlin's choice of watercolor lends itself to the depiction of both the vast open landscape and the dramatic hunt. Applying thin washes of pigment to paper allowed him to capture the subtle gradations of light and shadow across the snow-covered plains. Graphite provides the underlying structure, defining the figures of the hunters and the mass of the buffalo. The snowshoes worn by the hunters are rendered with particular care, their woven construction meticulously detailed. While Catlin sought to document what he perceived as a vanishing way of life, his work inevitably became entangled with the forces of colonialism and expansion that were rapidly transforming the West. The buffalo hunt itself, a practice deeply intertwined with the cultural and economic life of Indigenous peoples, was increasingly threatened by the encroachment of settlers and the commercialization of the fur trade. Paying attention to materials, making, and context invites us to consider the complex relationship between art, culture, and history.