Tompkins Matteson (1813 - 1884)
Custer's Last Shot

Matteson's painting is one of thousands produced on the subject of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The most common form of the iconography presents Custer as making a "last stand." Custer and his soldiers are portrayed as taking a defensive stance, bravely facing attacking Indians. This iconography makes a heroic figure of Custer, who serves as an emblem of the soldier who offers himself in sacrifice. Thus, the paintings of Custer's Last Stand argue for one particular interpretation of what happened at the Little Big Horn.

1878, oil on canvas
Autry Museum of Western Heritage, acc. 95.98.1

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