Accession Number
1970/1.182

Title
Buffalo Dance No. 1

Artist(s)
George Biddle

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1937

Medium & Support
lithograph on paper

Dimensions
12 15/16 in x 20 1/8 in (32.86 cm x 51.12 cm);22 1/16 in x 17 15/16 in (56.04 cm x 45.56 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
Buffalo Dance No. 1 is part of a series titled the Colorado Springs Series that Biddle worked on from 1936-1937. This image depicts the Buffalo Dance, or Bison Dance, an annual dance festival of many North American Plains Indians, including the Mandan, Sioux, Cheyenne, Pawnee, and Omaha, among others. A young girl stands in front of several larger figures dressed to look like sheep and buffalo in a dance formation. Buffalo Dance No. 2 depicts American Indians wearing different apparel, but they also appear to be participating in a ceremony or dance. Biddle is credited with implementing the Federal Arts Program after reaching out to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was inspired to create the initiative after his travels with Diego Rivera and seeing the public mural project in Mexico. 

Physical Description
A small female figure stands in the foreground, surrounded by people wearing animal costumes resembling sheep and buffalo.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Bison bison (species)
Native American
Ovis (genus)
buffalo
cultural ceremonies
dance (discipline)
dances
girls
modern and contemporary art
sheep
standing