Breaking the Trail, a previously unpublished jewel by Stephen Lyman, is an example of his ability to capture wildlife in an environment that provides both scale and a glimpse of the animal’s habitat.

Bison not only roamed the Great Plains but made their way well into the mountains and the forests throughout their expansive North American rangelands. Additionally, riding out a snowstorm in the tall pines was most likely a preferable experience to one on the open prairie. This uniquely-shaped horizontal painting, though far smaller in size, brings to mind Lyman’s High Creek Crossing.