Fine Western Art Collections
West Lives On Gallery
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Charles M. Russell
1864 - 1926 |
Born in St. Louis,
Charles Russell became a
legendary painter and
sculptor of frontier
activities of the
American West. Unlike
his well-known
counterpart, Frederic
Remington, he preferred
to paint the Indian and
the Cowboys rather than
the cavalry men.
He was fascinated with
western life from an
early age when he heard
stories of Indian
fighting from his great
uncle. Russell's
earliest paintings were
of war bonneted Indians
on horseback. Not
interested in school, he
left home for Helena,
Montana, at the
suggestion of his
father, who paid his
son's way after he
turned 16. His father
thought that the rough
and tough realities of
the West would the shake
romantic notions of it
out of his boy's head,
but instead Russell fell
totally in love with the
environment.
He got a job as a night
wrangler and had the
days free for
observation and
painting. He spent seven
years working at cowboy
jobs and carried his
watercolors in his
bedroll. He created
numerous profile
paintings and also made
clay models of wildlife.
He sold his early works
among the cowboys for
five and ten dollars
each.
In 1887, he turned down
a chance to study in
Rome in order to spend
the winter with the
Blood Indians in Canada.
He became very sensitive
to the plight of Indians
and respectful of their
ways.
In 1888, "Harper's
Weekly" published one of
his cowboy paintings. He
was spending that winter
among the Blackfeet
Indians of Alberta,
studying their language
and ceremonies. In 1890,
a folio of fourteen of
his paintings was
published and that same
year he did a mural of
ranch life scenes for
the iron door of a bank
in Lewiston, Montana.
But it was not until
fall 1896, that he
pursued art as a serious
career. That year he
married Nancy Cooper and
she devoted her life to
furthering his career,
persuading him to set up
a studio and do
commissions. She became
his business manager and
much of his career
success is due to her
marketing and business
skills.
In succeeding years his
popularity as an
illustrator increased,
amazing success
considering that he had
had only three formal
drawing lessons. His
paintings of men and
wild animals pitted
against tough life in
the West sold widely to
Hollywood celebrities,
oil rich collectors, a
numerous others who
liked reminders of the
"wild west." |
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"Cowboy On The
Range"
watercolor
• 14" x 20"
SOLD |
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"Indian Fight
#1"
oil on board
• 18" x 24"
SOLD
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