Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 37 works by Seth Eastman in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Seth Eastman left, the most famous is Sioux Indians Breaking Up Camp (1848), in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Close behind it come Dakotah village and Gathering Wild Rice. Our catalog holds 37 works by Seth Eastman; the gallery has kept the 37 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
The scene unfolds in Sioux Indians Breaking Up Camp, a work painted by Seth Eastman. The air feels heavy with the movement of a people in transition, as the community prepares to leave their current site. This painting, dating to about 1848, captures a specific moment of departure across the expansive prairie. The figures move with purpose, tending to their belongings and animals under a vast, shifting sky.
Dakotah village by Seth Eastman presents a detailed view of a Native American settlement. The scene is set within a grassy area where several people are positioned in various states of movement and rest. A group of individuals sits on the ground beneath umbrellas, which provide shade or protection from the elements. Around them, other people stand or walk through the village, contributing to a sense of constant motion. The…
Gathering Wild Rice by Seth Eastman depicts three individuals navigating a traditional canoe through a marsh or riverine environment. The vessel features a pointed bow and stern, a design characteristic of boats intended for maneuverability in shallow waterways. Tall grasses surround the canoe, rising from the water to create a dense, vegetated setting. The person positioned at the stern uses an oar to steer the craft through the vegetation.
In the quiet, biting chill of an 1848 winter, Seth Eastman captured more than just a landscape; he immortalized a vibrant pulse of life amidst the frost. Ballplay of the Dakota on the St. Peters River in Winter serves as a breathtaking window into a vanished era, where the frozen expanse of the river becomes a stage for communal joy and athletic prowess. The painting depicts a spirited game of…
Seth Eastman captures a quiet moment of existence in "Chippewa Encampment on the Upper Mississippi." Painted about 1845, the work focuses on an indigenous encampment settled along a riverbank. Tall coniferous trees crowd the shoreline, their dark needles sheltering several tipis. The river flows through the scene, a steady presence beside the dwellings.
In Buffalo Hunt by Seth Eastman, the horizon is a heavy line of gold and ochre. Painted about 1848, the scene captures a moment of high-stakes pursuit across the vast, rolling prairie. Native American hunters move through the landscape, their figures locked in a desperate chase against the momentum of a massive buffalo herd. The air feels thick with the dust of the plains and the heat of a setting…
The painting titled Ball Playing among the Sioux Indians captures a communal moment in a lush, green field. Created in 1851, this work by Seth Eastman presents a scene of movement and social connection. The figures are scattered across the landscape, engaged in a traditional sport that defines a specific afternoon in the life of the Sioux community.
Atotarho, the First Iroouols Ruler
12
Transporting The Wounded
13
Gathering Grass Seed, San Joaquin Valley, CaliforniaCrocker Art Museum
14
Striking the Post
15
Indians In Council
16
Oneota Stone, Cemetery In Utica
17
Pictorial Record of a Chief's Success in Hunting
18
Red Jacket
19
Ball Play On The Ice
20
Dance To The Giant
21
Medicine Man
22
Spearing Fish from a Canoe
23
Hudson River with a Distant View of West Point
24
Dog Dance Of The Dakotas,
25
Indian Women Procuring Fuel
26
Buffalo Hunt,
27
The Falls of St. AnthonyMinneapolis Institute of Art
28
Sioux Indian Council
29
Medicine Dance Of The Winnebagoes
30
Indian encampment
31
Indian Sugar Camp
32
Death Whoop
33
The Landing of De Soto at Tampa Bay
34
Buffalo Skin
35
Guarding the Corn Fields
36
Inscription rock at esopus landing on the hudson river
37
Transporting Water and Grass Seed, Valley of San Joaquin, CaliforniaCrocker Art Museum
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 7 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Seth Eastman | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Crocker Art Museum |
Sacramento | 2 | Gathering Grass Seed, San Joaquin Valley, California, Transporting Water and Grass Seed, Valley of San Joaquin, California |
 Museum of Fine Arts |
Boston | 1 | Sioux Indians Breaking Up Camp |
 Amon Carter Museum of American Art |
Fort Worth | 1 | Ballplay of the Dakota on the St. Peters River in Winter |
 Saint Louis Art Museum |
Saint Louis | 1 | Chippewa Encampment on the Upper Mississippi |
 Cincinnati Art Museum |
Cincinnati | 1 | Buffalo Hunt |
 National Gallery of Art |
Washington | 1 | Ball Playing among the Sioux Indians |
 Minneapolis Institute of Art |
Minneapolis | 1 | The Falls of St. Anthony |
Seth Eastman's dated works in this selection cover only 7 years, from 1845 to 1851: a brief career, shown here year by year.
Pick a year to see its originals.
Seth Eastman captures a quiet moment of existence in "Chippewa Encampment on the Upper Mississippi." Painted about 1845, the work focuses on an indigenous encampment settled along a riverbank. Tall coniferous trees crowd the shoreline, their dark needles sheltering several tipis. The river flows through the scene, a steady presence beside the dwellings.
The scene unfolds in Sioux Indians Breaking Up Camp, a work painted by Seth Eastman. The air feels heavy with the movement of a people in transition, as the community prepares to leave their current site. This painting, dating to about 1848, captures a specific moment of departure across the expansive prairie. The figures move with purpose, tending to their belongings and animals under a vast, shifting sky.
More from 1848
The painting titled Ball Playing among the Sioux Indians captures a communal moment in a lush, green field. Created in 1851, this work by Seth Eastman presents a scene of movement and social connection. The figures are scattered across the landscape, engaged in a traditional sport that defines a specific afternoon in the life of the Sioux community.
Sioux Indians Breaking Up Camp (1848), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Dakotah village and Gathering Wild Rice come next.
40 years old: Sioux Indians Breaking Up Camp dates from 1848, and Seth Eastman was born in 1808.
Sioux Indians Breaking Up Camp, Dakotah village, Gathering Wild Rice, Ballplay of the Dakota on the St. Peters River in Winter, Chippewa Encampment on the Upper Mississippi, Buffalo Hunt, Ball Playing among the Sioux Indians, Lake itsaca, Wabeno Songs, from 'Information Respecting and Indian Burial,. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 37 works by Seth Eastman, dated from 1845 to 1851.
Mostly in Crocker Art Museum (Sacramento), Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) and Amon Carter Museum of American Art (Fort Worth). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1848: 3 of the 37 works on this page were made then, Sioux Indians Breaking Up Camp among them.
On this page, the earliest is Chippewa Encampment on the Upper Mississippi (1845) and the latest Ball Playing among the Sioux Indians (1851).
Grass (4), People (4) and Sky (3), across the 37 works on this page.
Oil, for 3 of the 37 works on this page.
Hudson river school, judging by the originals on this page.
Gathering Grass Seed, San Joaquin Valley, California and Transporting Water and Grass Seed, Valley of San Joaquin, California: the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento holds 2 of the works on this page.
