Buffalo Chase

1861/1869

George Catlin

Associated Names
George Catlin
Artist, American, 1796 - 1872
This is a painting with a central focus on a bison being pursued by a figure on horseback. The scene is set in a grassy prairie under a cloudy sky. The bison is depicted with detailed brown fur and expressive eyes, appearing to move swiftly. A galloping horse is shown next to the bison, with attention to its mane and motion to suggest speed. The composition is enclosed in an oval with a muted border. The style is reminiscent of George Catlin, known for his depictions of Native American life and wildlife.

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During the mid-19th century, George Catlin created two large collections of paintings featuring portraits of Native Americans, genre scenes, and western landscapes. The first collection, which he called his "Indian Gallery," included more than 500 works completed during the 1830s. Most of the surviving paintings from this group are now at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. During the 1850s and 1860s, Catlin created a second collection, numbering more than 600 works, which he called his "Cartoon Collection." The surviving works from this collection were acquired by the American Museum of Natural History in New York in 1912. Paul Mellon purchased more than 300 paintings from the Cartoon Collection when they were deaccessioned. In 1965, he gave 351 works from this collection to the National Gallery of Art.

When Catlin exhibited the Cartoon Collection in New York in 1871, he published a catalog listing all the works. The catalog entries often included additional information about the subject of each painting. Catlin's catalog entry for this painting follows.

"Cart. No. 144.

BUFFALO CHASE.—The Indian, having captured a wild horse, uses it for the support of his family."

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on card mounted on paperboard

  • Credit Line

    Paul Mellon Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 46.3 x 63 cm (18 1/4 x 24 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1965.16.175

Artwork history & notes

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.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1967

  • Catlin, Bodmer, Miller: Artist Explorers of the 1830's, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, 1967-1974.

1975

  • Extended loan for use by The White House, Washington, D.C., 1975-1983.

1985

  • George Catlin: Pioneer Painter of the North American Indian, Montclair Art Museum, New Jersey, 1985-1986.

1988

  • Extended loan for use by Ambassador Stephen Ledogar, U.S. Ambassador to Mutual Balanced Force Reduction talks, Vienna, Austria, 1988-1990.

1990

  • Extended loan for use by Ambassador Stephen Ledogar, U.S. Ambassador to the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Geneva, Swizterland, 1990-1997.

2001

  • Extended loan for use by The White House, Washington, D.C., 2001-2023.

Bibliography

1970

  • American Paintings and Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1970: 32.

1980

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1980: 43, repro.

1992

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 49, repro.

Wikidata ID

Q20188451

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