Friday 9 November 2012

19 Century Painting


This Painting symbolises native Americans way of life, in which the buffalo's is an essential part. 


Buffalo hunt under the wolf - skin mask, 1832 - 33 oil 

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Before they acquired horses in the eighteenth century, Indians developed ingenious methods to hunt buffalo on foot. One method was the stealthy approach in disguise. Since more than half the calves born each year died, bison tolerated the packs of wolves that took care of the carcasses. Buffalo were unprepared, however, for Indians in wolves' clothing, who approached "within a few rods of the unsuspecting group, and easily [shot] down the fattest of the throng."



This painting depicts methods, of how Americans captured buffalo's on foot before being introduced to horses. One method was to dress up in buffalo skin and make crying baby sounds, and when one buffalo left the herd to help save the crying baby the Indians, would kill the animals with spears and arrows. This suggests that the buffaloes where native Americans essential for survival  in the sense that these buffalo were used to make things essential things  like cups, spoons, candles, decorations, used as religious alters, shovels, knives the list is endless.
furthermore the symbolic meaning of the buffalo for the native Americans symbolised.

Representation - "Something that represents."
Provision- "The act of supplying".
Gratitude - "The quality of being thankful."
Abundance- "A very large quality of something."
Consistency - "The achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over."
Strength - " The quality or state of being strong."
Stability- " The state of being stable."
Blessing- " God's favour and protection."
Prosperity-"The state of being prosperous."

http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/online/catlin/catlin_highlights2.cfm?StartRow=10

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