Indians Watering their Horses

Composed of delicate washes in a simplified palette, this painting has the feeling of a sketch made in situ, but was likely created in the studio after Miller returned from the West. It is more detailed, its composition more carefully considered, than the traditional topographical-style watercolors attributed to Miller’s time in the field like Devil’s Gate (CR# ??). Similar to his field sketches, though, the palette of Indians Watering their Horses is predominantly brown and grey as opposed to the bright colors of Miller’s more refined watercolor paintings. This gives the work a sense of spontaneity and freshness often absent in Miller’s studio paintings. The foremost figure, an Indian on horseback, and the gnarled tree trunk to his left, are the focal points of the painting; Miller depicted them with the greatest detail, while he only loosely suggested the landscape backdrop.

Karen B. McWhorter