The Last Of The Buffalo

Name: The Last Of The Buffalo
Brand: Albert Bierstadt
SKU: the-last-of-the-buffalo
Price: 479 USD
Availability: InStock

Albert Bierstadt

Item Number: 29585

$

$785

Save $306

Albert Bierstadt's The Last of the Buffalo II (1888) is a powerful and emotional depiction of the American frontier, capturing both the sorrow and beauty of a vanishing wilderness. Bierstadt, celebrat...

Full Description

Choose your size

Choose your framing option

Choose Guide

Popular

✈️ Free Worldwide Shipping & Production Times
Total Estimated Delivery: 17–34 Business Days

Since this is a 100% hand-painted artwork made to order, delivery takes a bit longer than mass-produced prints. Here is the exact breakdown:

Processing (7–14 Business Days): Our artists craft and hand-paint your piece. High-quality oil paintings require time for layers to dry properly to ensure they arrive in perfect condition.

Shipping Transit (10–20 Business Days, Worldwide): Once your painting passes quality control, it is handed over to our reliable shipping partners.

Customs Note: International orders may be subject to import duties/taxes, which are the buyer's responsibility.
🛡️ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee & Returns
We want your purchase experience to be as easy as possible! You have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.

Standard Artworks: Eligible for return within 30 days (must be new, unused, and in original packaging). For "change of mind" returns, the buyer covers return shipping costs. We do not charge any restocking fees.

Damaged or Defective Items: If your art arrives damaged, contact us immediately. We will offer a free replacement or a full refund and cover any return shipping costs.

Custom & Personalized Orders: Due to their unique nature, portraits and custom-modified artworks are final sale and cannot be returned unless they arrive damaged.

Cancellations: You may cancel your order for free within 24 hours of purchase.

To start a return, simply contact us at info@tryartwork.com.
🎨 100% Hand-Painted Oil Art

This is NOT a print. You are purchasing a genuine, hand-painted oil reproduction created by a skilled artist.

We use museum-quality canvas and rich oil paints to capture the texture, depth, and soul of the original masterpiece. Every brushstroke is applied by hand, making your artwork truly unique.

Our benefits

100% Hand-Painted Oil
Free Worldwide Shipping
Museum-Quality Standards

Features “The Last Of The Buffalo” by Albert Bierstadt

Overview
Author	Albert Bierstadt
Color	Brown, Green, Blue, Yellow, White, Grey
Tags	The Last Of The Buffalo, Albert Bierstadt, Hudson River School, Landscape, Hunting, Plains, 19th Century, Famous Painting, American Art, Wildlife, Western Art
Concept and Style
Topics	American Art , Wildlife , Western Art , Hunting
Styles	Hudson River School
Painting Details
Period	19th Century

Did you see an error in the description or specifications? Let us know about it!

Report an error

Description “The Last Of The Buffalo” by Albert Bierstadt

Albert Bierstadt's The Last of the Buffalo II (1888) is a powerful and emotional depiction of the American frontier, capturing both the sorrow and beauty of a vanishing wilderness. Bierstadt, celebrated for his ability to convey the sublime, narrates the plight of the buffalo, an animal that once symbolized abundance but was on the verge of extinction due to relentless overhunting and westward expansion. The painting goes beyond aesthetics, serving as a commentary on the environmental consequences of human progress.

The composition is both intimate and expansive. Against a backdrop of rolling grasslands and majestic mountains, a herd of buffalo grazes, fights, and struggles to survive. The central drama of a buffalo locked in a life-or-death battle with a predator brings a visceral immediacy to the scene, reflecting nature’s harsh realities. Bierstadt’s use of light amplifies the tension, highlighting the golden hues of the sky and contrasting them with the dark, shadowed forms of the buffalo. The meticulous details in every element, from the texture of the animals' fur to the distant mountain peaks, showcase Bierstadt's technical mastery and deep reverence for nature.

More than just a tribute to the buffalo, this painting reflects on humanity’s impact on the environment. By capturing a moment of struggle and serenity, Bierstadt invites viewers to contemplate the fragility of ecosystems and the interdependence of all life forms.

Today, this composition is widely produced as reproduction oil paintings for collectors and interior spaces.

Collector's Guide PDF “The Last Of The Buffalo” by Albert Bierstadt

The Last Of The Buffalo — Collector's Guide (PDF)

Reviews “The Last Of The Buffalo” by Albert Bierstadt

Add your review

Q/A “The Last Of The Buffalo” by Albert Bierstadt

Experts answer questions

Add your questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the central subject of this painting, and what does it mourn?

The painting depicts a dramatic confrontation between a group of Native American riders and a herd of bison, with wounded and fallen animals in the foreground. The title makes the elegiac intent explicit: this is a lament for the near-extinction of the American buffalo, once numbering in the tens of millions, by the late 19th century.
How does Bierstadt use composition to convey urgency and tragedy?

The composition is tightly packed and kinetic — horses, bison, and riders compressed into a swirling mass — which contrasts with the open, desolate sky above. The fallen animals in the foreground pull the eye downward, grounding the drama in loss rather than triumph and giving the work an unmistakably mournful undertone.
What historical moment does this painting document?

By the 1880s, the American bison population had been reduced from an estimated 30–60 million animals to near zero through commercial hunting and deliberate extermination policies. Bierstadt's painting was a direct response to this catastrophe, and is often cited as a primary cultural document of ecological loss.
What does this painting bring to a room beyond pure decoration?

This is a painting with genuine historical gravity — it asks questions about loss, power, and consequence that remain relevant today, making it an intellectually compelling as well as visually striking presence in any room. It suits serious, thoughtfully curated interiors: a library, home office, or gallery wall where art is meant to prompt reflection.

Additional Information “The Last Of The Buffalo” by Albert Bierstadt

“Bierstadt painted the West's requiem.” Nancy Anderson

“The last buffalo fall under the last hunter.” Gordon Hendricks

“Progress claimed its victims.” Barbara Novak

“Bierstadt mourned what America destroyed.” Gerald Carr

“The sublime becomes elegy.” Matthew Baigell

#1. Elegy for Buffalo. The painting mourns the near-extinction of the American buffalo.

#2. Native Hunter. A Native American hunts among the last remaining buffalo.

#3. Conservation Message. Bierstadt intended the painting as a warning about extinction.

#4. Multiple Versions. Bierstadt painted several versions of this subject.

#5. End of an Era. The painting marks the close of the frontier era.

On the wall of a library or office, or a study, the balanced composition reads at its best. The work carries best where light is steady — soft daylight or warm lamplight, not harsh overheads. Pair it freely with dark wood furniture and brass accents; the result reads as a gallery-style interior. The depth and atmosphere reward a viewing distance of several feet, while the brushwork rewards a close approach. It works equally well above seating or as a feature wall on its own.

The painter's main task is the sky-to-land transition, then careful work on the texture of foliage and ground. Color is built in passes, with cool half-tones giving way to warmer highlights in the right places. In landscapes, the painter holds finer brushwork for foreground texture while the background stays softer. Hand-painted oil reproduction on canvas — close to the spirit of the original, made by a painter and not a printer.

Air and ground meet in calm proportion across the surface. Color stays within brown, green, blue, and yellow, the painter favoring tonal control over saturation. Light enters at a deliberate angle, supporting the composition without competing with it. The visual logic carries at scale, with the smaller passages doing their share at close range. The painter's hand is present without dominating the image, paint and drawing balanced. The painter holds value control across the picture rather than relying on local contrast.