Big Game in Sight by Henry F. Farny

This magnificent full-length portrait of a plains warrior, titled “Big Game in Sight”, testifies to the genius of Henry Farny within the American realism movement. The artist distinguishes himself by his documentary and respectful approach to the native cultures of the New World. Through this work, he seeks to immortalize the pride, dignity, and presence of native peoples in the face of the upheavals of their traditional way of life.

A Native American chief stands in the foreground on sandy ground, staring at the viewer with a proud and solemn gaze. He wears an imposing fur hat adorned with two upright feathers and a skin shirt with delicate fringes. A large blue-gray wool drape wraps elegantly around his body, while he firmly holds his rifle against his chest. His feet are clad in moccasins beautifully decorated with blue and white beads. In the background, his mount waits calmly amidst the low vegetation of the arid plain stretching under a light blue sky veiled with thin clouds.

Henry Farny demonstrates unparalleled craftsmanship in the extremely precise rendering of different textures. The softness of the fur, the flexibility of the fringed skin, the heavy drape of the blanket, and the fineness of the beadwork on the moccasins are painted with striking realism and admirable technical mastery.