You Played that Card
$395.00
Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
You feel the sudden, breathless moment before and after a daring gesture — a horse rearing, a rider lunging forward, a flag collapsing between them. The scene's energy is immediate: dusty air, kicked-up grass, and the blur of movement make the encounter feel lived-in rather than staged. Warm ochres and cool sky blues balance one another, giving the canvas both heat and distance; small bright accents — the flag’s stripes, a flash of red trim — draw the eye to the human interaction at the center. Figures and animals are rendered with loose, confident strokes that suggest motion more than strict detail, so the painting reads as memory and action at once, echoing the story-based origins of ledger drawing mentioned in the work’s history. There’s a quiet respect in how the central rider is portrayed — not as a caricatured hero but as a person in a dangerous, decisive instant. As a single image, it holds the tension of bravery, surprise, and the noise of battle while remaining visually lyrical and vividly grounded in place.
The Artwork
About Yellow Nose Counts Coup at Little Bighorn
\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style="color: rgb(255, 42, 0);"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll our prints ship rolled in a tube.\u003c/strong\u003e \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInterested in having your \u003cstrong\u003ecanvas\u003c/strong\u003e arrive to you \u003cstrong\u003eframed \u003c/strong\u003eand ready to hang instead? Put one of our plein air frames in the cart with your canvas of choice. We only frame canvas, no paper prints, and must be 30" x 40" or under. "ROLLED ONLY and "STRETCHED" items are not available for framing.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style="color: rgb(46, 94, 165);"\u003eStory:\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e \u003cp\u003eYellow Nose Counts Coup at Little Bighorn\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAt the battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, a Ute/Southern Cheyenne brave named Yellow Nose was active in the fight on Calhoun Hill. As the defensive structure of the soldiers broke down, Yellow Nose managed to grab a cavalry guidon and count coup (touch an enemy) using the staff. As he did so, the soldier shot his trapdoor Springfield carbine. Amazingly, especially to Yellow Nose, neither horse nor rider was hit. This event was noted and retold among the Indians and brought great fame to Yellow Nose.\u003cbr\u003eLater in his life Yellow Nose documented the moment in a piece of “ledger art”. This painting is based on that drawing. Yellow Nose’s clothing, the horse and its bucking, the buckskin dressed man and other details all come from the memory of Yellow Nose.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e
Collector Details
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Artist Signature
Signed by the artist
This piece is artist signed and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Image Rights
Image copyright © 2026 by Andy Thomas.
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Authenticity & Documentation
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Andy Thomas is not only an immensely talented painter, but also a storyteller with the images he creates. His subject matter consists of a variety of images from historical events to intimate moments of everyday life. The artist s desire to create is funneled into the area of painting realism that ranges from very loose to very tight. Thomas s medium is primarily oil, but he also works in watercolor, pen and ink, charcoal, pencil, and ink wash. He is also a very accomplished sculptor.
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