The Honor of Being Pipe Carrier
$1,800.00
Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
You can almost hear the thud of hooves and the dry wind that lifts dust from the plain. In LIGHT CAVALRY Howard Terpning presents three mounted riders in swift, purposeful motion — bodies leaning forward, hair and garments streaming, spears held ready. The sunlit palette of ochres, warm browns and bright sky-blue gives the scene a sharp midday clarity that emphasizes heat and speed. Terpning’s brushwork registers both the taut musculature of the horses and the loose, confident gestures of the riders, creating a feeling of lived skill and intimacy between horse and rider. The low horizon and distant mountains reinforce a sense of open country and movement across great distance. There’s a quiet dignity here: these are people matched to their animals and landscape, moving with economy and authority rather than show. The image carries energy without harshness — a measured, respectful portrait of motion and mastery on the plains.
The Artwork
About LIGHT CAVALRY
€œThe Apache were great horsemen,€ says artist Howard Terpning. €œAll the Plains Indians were. This group of tribesmen travels between the mountains with only the clothes on their backs and a minimum of equipment €” a far cry from the so-called €˜light cavalry of the American army.€
To understand the relationship between the Native American and the horse is no easy feat, but, true to form, Howard Terpning has delivered.
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About the Collection
Howard Terpning is one of the most celebrated Western artists, known for his historically rich and emotionally compelling depictions of Native American life. With a deep respect for Plains Indian culture, his paintings capture narrative storytelling in art, bringing history to life through traditional oil paintings. A member of the Cowboy Artists of America, Terpning’s work is recognized for its historical realism and museum-quality craftsmanship. His fine art prints and originals are highly sought after, making him a defining figure in American West painting.
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Image copyright © 2026 by Howard Terpning.
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Quite simply, Howard Terpning is one of the most lauded painters of Western art. His awards are so numerous and he is honored with them so often, that to list them would require changing the count every few months. To name three would be to cite the highest prizes awarded to Western art: countless awards from the Cowboy Artists of America, the Hubbard Art Award for Excellence, the National Academy of Western Art s Prix de West and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gene Autry Museum.
Why such praise? Passion, compassion, devotion and respect for his subject matter, extraordinary talent in palette and brushstroke, an exceptional ability to evoke emotion both in his paintings and from those viewing them — all this and more has made Terpning the "Storyteller of the Native American."
Born in Illinois and educated at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and the American Academy of Art, he first gained attention from some powerful Time and Newsweek covers. Film fans praised his movie posters for such classics as The Sound of Music, Dr. Zhivago and the re-issue of Gone with the Wind.
But his love of the West and Native American traditions saw his transition to fine art. Terpning was a long-time member of the Cowboy Artists of America, which has presented him with Gold and Silver awards, "Best of Show" awards, and "Best Overall Show by a Single Artist" awards more than two dozen times.
His first book, The Art of Howard Terpning won the Wrangler "Outstanding Art Book" award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Spirit of the Plains People, his second book, was released in 2001 in conjunction with a one-man show at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. A third, Tribute to the Plains People, was released in 2012 to celebrate his retrospective at The Autry National Center in Los Angeles.
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