On the Lookout. – A Ute. Camp, Utah. c. 1861 - 1897

Thomas Moran's "On the Lookout. - A Ute. Camp, Utah." from circa 1861-1897 depicts a dramatic sunset over a Ute encampment. A lone figure stands watch in a tree, silhouetted against the fiery sky, while a tipi, figures preparing a meal, and other accoutrements of camp life are visible in the foreground. Moran, known for his romantic and often dramatic landscapes, captures the beauty and the sense of danger of the American West, emphasizing the fragility of Native American life in the face of encroaching Western expansion.