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Buffalo Bulls Fighting in Running Season, Upper Missouri

Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery

Object Details

Artist
George Catlin, born Wilkes-Barre, PA 1796-died Jersey City, NJ 1872
Luce Center Label
“The ‘running season,’ which is in August and September, is the time when [the buffalo] congregate into such masses in some places, as literally to blacken the prairies for miles together. It is no uncommon thing at this season, at these gatherings, to see several thousands in a mass, eddying and wheeling about under a cloud of dust, which is raised by the bulls as they are pawing in the dirt, or engaged in desperate combats, as they constantly are, plunging and butting at each other in the most furious manner. In these scenes, the males are continually following the females, and the whole mass are in constant motion; and all bellowing (or ‘roaring’) in deep and hollow sounds; which, mingled altogether, appear, at the distance of a mile or two, like the sound of distant thunder.” (Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 1, no. 31, 1841; reprint 1973)
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
1837-1839
Object number
1985.66.424
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
Painting
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
24 x 29 in. (60.9 x 73.7 cm)
See more items in
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department
Painting and Sculpture
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Topic
Western
Landscape\United States
Animal\buffalo
Landscape\river\Missouri River
Record ID
saam_1985.66.424
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk714dca3f2-6ddd-4e02-8a46-f77158a85f89
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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