Comanche Indians Chasing Buffalo with Lances and Bows

About this artwork

George Catlin enjoyed and documented buffalo hunts with various tribes, describing methods such as the exhilarating but dangerous chase on horseback, the surround, and the ambush, in which hunters crept among the unsuspecting herds disguised under the skin of a white wolf for a close and easy shot. During the 1830s, many Indians still used the ambush, but the acquisition of the horse centuries before had transformed their hunting methods. The tribes could now hunt with less danger to themselves ...

Art Historical Context

George Catlin's *Comanche Indians Chasing Buffalo Lances and Bows (1846-1848) captures the raw thrill of a buffalo hunt on the Great Plains, showcasing the Comanche people's mastery as horsemen. Painted during Catlin's later career, this oil on canvas reflects his lifelong passion for documenting Native American life before it vanished under westward expansion. In the 1830s, Catlin witnessed various hunting methods—exhilarating horseback chases, surrounds, and stealthy ambushes using wolf skins for disguise. The Comanche, whom he hailed as the finest Plains riders, had revolutionized hunting c...

About the Artist

George Catlin · 1796–1872

George Catlin (1796–1872), born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to Putnam Catlin and Polly Sutton—who had been captured by Native Americans during the 1778 Battle of Wyoming—initially pursued a legal career. Trained at Litchfield Law School, he was admitted to the bar in 1819 but abandoned law after two years to study art in Philadelphia in 1823. Self-taught as a portraitist, Catlin quickly gained ...