One of the functions of a surround was to hold as much of a herd of buffalo as possible in a circle while individual warriors chased and killed those that broke loose from the bunch. This watercolor illustrates that point effectively, showing the pursuit by one hunter after a maverick bison that has escaped from the others. This work may have been an initial study for Miller’s large studio oil, Hunting the Buffalo, that was shipped to Scotland in 1840 to be hung at Murthly Castle.
The artist; Carrie C. Miller, Annapolis, MD; Mae Reed Porter, Kansas City, MO; [M. Knoedler and Company, New York, NY]; InterNorth Art Foundation, Omaha, NE; present owner
