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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A Buffalo Wallow

George Catlin (American, 1796 - 1872)

1861/1869

Medium
oil on card mounted on paperboard
Classification
Painting
Dimensions
overall: 46.7 x 62.5 cm (18 3/8 x 24 5/8 in.)
Culture
American
Museum
National Gallery of Art, CAB
Credit line
Paul Mellon Collection
Rights
Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed

View at the National Gallery of Art