Buffalo Bulls in a Wallow
1837-1839
George Catlin captured the raw, dusty reality of the American frontier here, showing a massive herd of bison stretching all the way to the horizon. In the foreground, a giant bull is taking a 'wallow'—rolling in the mud to scratch an itch and ward off flies—a behavior that was common before these animals were nearly hunted to extinction. Catlin painted this during his famous travels in the 1830s to document Native American life and the wild landscapes before they changed forever. Today, this piece is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, preserving a world that has largely disappeared.
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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