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The image shows a landscape with a herd of bison on a slope. The horizon line is high, dividing the grassy field and sky. The bison are spread out, with those closer detailed, and those further away less defined. The brushstrokes are smooth, depicting fur and grass texture realistically. The color palette is serene, with earthy browns of the bison contrasting greens of the grass under a soft blue and grey sky.
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The image shows a landscape with a herd of bison on a slope. The horizon line is high, dividing the grassy field and sky. The bison are spread out, with those closer detailed, and those further away less defined. The brushstrokes are smooth, depicting fur and grass texture realistically. The color palette is serene, with earthy browns of the bison contrasting greens of the grass under a soft blue and grey sky.

National Gallery of Art · Painting

A Buffalo Wallow

George Catlin

Date
1861/1869
Medium
oil on card mounted on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 46.7 x 62.5 cm (18 3/8 x 24 5/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Accession number
1965.16.178
Credit line
Paul Mellon Collection
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CAB
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • painted surface
  • American
  • mammal
  • animal
  • Buffalo
  • American Paintings, Catlin
Provenance

George Catlin [1796-1872]; by descent to his daughters, Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin; purchased 1912 from Elizabeth Wing Catlin by the American Museum of Natural History; sold 1959 through (Kennedy Galleries, New York) to Mr. Paul Mellon, Upperville, VA; gift 1965 to the NGA.

NGA object ID 50486. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.