Grandpa´s Blessing

Z.S. Liang continues to be one of the most important artists painting the history of the American West today. His track record of sold-out original shows and Fine Art Editions attest to the regard for the painter and the perception of the potential for his work tomorrow. He has a particular knack for portraying intimate details of Native American life, even when his canvases are epic in scale. “Since early in the 17th century,” begins Liang, “when the horse was introduced to the American Indian on the northern Plains, their life was changed forever. The use of the horse for buffalo hunting made the hunt much more efficient and provided the people with a rich bounty. This exuberant scene shows a summer day in the Blackfeet band camp during the 1870s, after the buffalo scouts have located a large herd nearby. The men gather to ready their buffalo horses, while women excitedly prepare packhorses, travois and meat bags for the coming chase! With this excitement also comes concern, for running the wild herds over the broken country of the Western prairies held a high degree of danger for the mounted hunter. In the painting, a grandfather ties an eagle feather on his grandson’s horsetail as a blessing of safety before the run begins.”