1819
The Prairie Dog
Titian Ramsay Peale IIAmerican, 1799 - 1885
Titian Ramsay Peale II made this watercolor drawing while serving as assistant naturalist on the government funded Stephen H. Long Expedition through the then unexplored Rocky Mountains and Great Plains in 1819–20.
Titian’s work included documenting the characteristic physical features and behaviors of the wildlife he was able to observe in their natural habitats. Although his drawings were a part of an important scientific survey of exploration, he also exhibited several of them at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1821. In this instance, his documentation of the appearance and behavior of prairie dogs also exhibit a sense of charm and whimsy. Titian would go on to travel the world and engage in a variety of scientific pursuits.
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