Artwork
Bulls Fighting
Bulls Fighting is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist George Catlin. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The iconography centers on the physical struggle between the animals, representing a genre scene of raw power and conflict in nature.
The painting depicts two bulls locked in combat in a meadow, with a cloudy sky and a horizon line. The iconography centers on the physical struggle between the animals, representing a genre scene of raw power and conflict in nature. The subject is straightforward: bulls fighting in an open landscape. The meaning is derived from the depiction of untamed animal aggression, without overt symbolic narrative.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on card mounted on paperboard, an unconventional support likely chosen for portability. Measuring 47 × 63.5 cm, the work depicts a violent combat between bulls set in a meadow beneath a cloudy sky, with a low horizon emphasizing the drama. Catlin’s handling is descriptive and naturalistic, capturing the muscular forms of the cattle and the tension of the fight.
The formal composition centers the struggle, with the sky and landscape providing a muted backdrop. The medium and support, along with the genre subject, reflect Catlin’s documentary approach to frontier and animal scenes. No condition details are recorded in the sources.
History & Provenance
George Catlin painted Bulls Fighting in 1865. The work descended within the artist's family, passing to his daughters Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin. In 1912, Elizabeth Wing Catlin sold the painting to the American Museum of Natural History.
The museum deaccessioned the work in 1959, selling it through Kennedy Galleries, New York, to collector Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. Mellon donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art in 1965, where it remains part of the permanent collection.
The painting is held at the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, D.C. Its provenance includes descent through the artist’s family, acquisition by the American Museum of Natural History in 1912, sale via Kennedy Galleries in 1959 to Paul Mellon, and finally a gift to the NGA in 1965. No exhibition history is recorded in the provided sources.
Overview
George Catlin's 1861 painting, Bulls Fighting, captures a dramatic confrontation between two powerful animals. Rendered in oil on card mounted on paperboard, the work depicts two bulls with locked horns, their forms straining in a grassy field beneath an unadorned sky. The composition conveys a sense of immediate action, characteristic of Catlin's interest in depicting natural phenomena.
Context
Created in 1861, Bulls Fighting reflects George Catlin's enduring fascination with the American wilderness, even decades after his extensive travels among Plains tribes. His personal experiences, which included witnessing such animal encounters firsthand, informed his artistic output. The painting exemplifies his consistent effort to document and interpret the raw, untamed aspects of nature for his audience.
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Artist & collection
Artist
George Catlin ( KAT-lin; July 26, 1796 – December 23, 1872) was an American lawyer, painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the American frontier.
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