On a Strong Scent

In this comic hunting scene, a rotund hunter (left) --wearing a red cap with a visor, a blue jacket, red vest, and white pants --makes his way through a marsh filled with tall cat tails. He holds his rifle poised in his right hand, while his left hand holds his nose as he approaches the spot where his dog has led him. At right, a gasping, brown-and-white dog sits with its tongue hanging out. At the far right, a stinking dead cow lays on the ground, as two crows feed on its carcass. Nine crows fly towards the dead cow. The title is imprinted beneath the vignette image.






Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888), who established a successful New York-based lithography firm in 1835, produced thousands of hand-colored prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of mid-to-late nineteenth century America. In 1857, James Merritt Ives (1824–1895), the accounting-savvy brother-in-law of Nathaniel's brother Charles, was made a business partner. People eagerly acquired Currier & Ives lithographs, such as those featuring spectacular American landscapes, rural and city views, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments.