George Catlin, born Wilkes-Barre, PA - Buffalo Hunt, under the White Wolfskin-no. 13 - unknown - T-Shirt

This lithograph by George Catlin shows a Plains hunter wearing a white wolfskin as he moves in among a herd of buffalo.

Visual Elements & Composition

The scene is built around the hunter in his wolfskin disguise, set against the wide, open ground of the Great Plains. The buffalo fill the surrounding space, and the wolfskin draws the eye as the one element that does not belong to the herd. The composition stays observational: the figures are shown going about the hunt rather than posed for the viewer.

Meaning & Symbolism

The white wolfskin is the core of the image. By taking on the appearance of a predator, the hunter lets himself approach the herd closely without setting off the animals' instinct to flee. The method reflects the specialised knowledge Plains peoples held about animal behaviour and the landscape, and it shows a working relationship with the ecosystem. The buffalo was the centre of cultural and economic life for many tribes in the region, so the hunt carried high stakes. Catlin made the work in the nineteenth century as part of his effort to record the customs of Native American tribes before he believed they would vanish.

Wearing the Buffalo Hunt

A tee carries its design across the chest and moves with the person wearing it, so this scene is shown in motion, the way the hunt itself unfolds. The wolfskin figure sits at the centre of the view, where the eye lands first in conversation. Each time the shirt is worn, it brings a piece of Catlin's documentary record into everyday life.