The Last of the Buffalo (c. 1888)The Last of the Buffalo is not only a painting of action, it is a record of loss. In the 19th century, millions of bison roamed the Great Plains of America, sustaining Native American tribes with food, clothing, shelter, and meaning. By the late 1800s, widespread hunting and government policy had reduced their numbers drastically, altering both the landscape and the lives that depended on it. The painting holds this history within a single moment. The