After the Buffalo Chase - Sioux 1861 - 1869

George Catlin’s painting captures a scene of the Sioux people after a buffalo chase. The fallen buffalo scattered across the field, evoke a sense of both abundance and melancholic stillness, echoing the cycle of life and death inherent in nature. The prone buffalo here remind us of sacrificial animals, linking back to ancient Minoan bull-leaping rituals in which young men fearlessly vault over the horns of charging bulls; a dance with death, a celebration of life's vigour and courage. We also see echoes in the motif of a fallen animal, a theme that resonates through time, from the sacrificial lambs of antiquity to modern-day symbols of environmental vulnerability. These images are not merely depictions, but powerful symbols engaging our collective memory, and tapping into deep subconscious layers. The act of the hunt, the taking of life, and the recognition of our place within the natural order touch upon fundamental human experiences.