Howard Terpning Artist Proof Limited Edition Print "Shepherd of the Plains"

Shepherd of the Plains – Howard Terpning

Artist: Howard Terpning
Title: Shepherd of the Plains
Size: 9" W x 9.44" H (image)
Edition: Limited Edition Artist’s Proof, Edition of 50
Medium: Giclée print on paper, archival inks
Signature: Hand‑Signed and Numbered by Howard Terpning
Certificate of Authenticity: Included
Price: $595
Status: LOW STOCK

Description

"Shepherd of the Plains" honors the vital role of the horse in the lives of the Plains Indians. Horses were a visible sign of wealth—women of a family each owned several pack ponies, men claimed many more for hunting and war, and children had their own ponies. Herds often ran into the thousands across the open plains.

Though many Plains ponies were small—sometimes with riders’ toes nearly touching the ground—they made up for it with stamina and speed, earning the name “spirit of the air faster than wind.” In this intimate scene, Howard Terpning captures a Plains horseman quietly watching over his herd, a timeless tribute to the deep bond between people and their horses.

About the Artist

Howard Terpning is one of the most celebrated painters of Native American life and Western history. Trained at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and with an early career in illustration, he later lived on a Navajo reservation, deepening his understanding of Native cultures. His meticulous attention to detail and respect for tradition are evident in works like “Shepherd of the Plains,” which distills the spirit of the Plains horse culture into a compact, powerful image.