C.M. Russell—Montana’s Greatest Artist

I confess to not knowing much about Charles Russell before our last visit to Montana.  While in Helena, my wife and I visited the Museum of Montana where a special exhibit of Mr. Russell’s art was on display.  Going through the exhibit was quite a treat, as it would be for anyone who loves the American west.  Mr. Russell had a way of capturing the spirit of Montana that was deeply appealing to me.

The photo below was taken at the entrance to this exhibit and was used as last weekend’s One Clue Mystery photo.  It was recognized by George G and (via Twitter) Montana resident Mary P.  Congratulations to both!

Here is a summary of some things I learned about Charles Marion Russell.  He was born in St. Louis in 1864 and as a young man dreamed of becoming a cowboy.  At age 16 he moved to Montana and tried his hand (unsuccessfully) as an assistant on a sheep ranch.  He befriended and moved in with Jake Hoover, a hunter and trader, who over a two-year period taught him how to live in the wilderness.  They became lifelong friends.

At age 18, Russell finally got a job herding cattle.  It was during this time that he began to work on his art, sketching the life he saw around him.  He worked as a cowboy and wrangler for 11 years before retiring at age 29 to become a full-time artist.

In 1896 Russell married Nancy Cooper, who also became his business manager.  She apparently was good at promoting her husband’s career and his fame grew over the years.  In 1900, they built a modest house in Great Falls and, three years a later a log art studio that Russell filled with his personal collections — Indian clothing, cowboy gear, “horse jewelry,” and the like. Russell completed the majority of his art works in this studio.

(Charlie Russell, working in his studio)

By the early 1900s, Charlie Russell had become an internationally known “cowboy” artist.  His scenes documenting Montana’s beautiful landscapes, its wildlife, and his sensitivity to its native people were clear in his work.  Remarkably, he completed more than 4,000 pieces in his life — oil paintings, sculpture, and watercolors.  Truly a remarkable legacy in documenting life in Montana.  Beyond this, he seems to have been a charismatic, funny, likeable and inspiring man.

Charlie Russell spent his entire life after the age of 16 in Montana. He died of a heart attack in his Great Falls home on October 24, 1926

The main collection of Mr. Russell’s work (over 2,000 pieces) is housed at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana.  This Western art complex includes Charlie’s fully restored home and art studio, a National Historic Landmark.

What follows are some of my favorite Russell pieces from the Helena collection:.

(Inside the Lodge)

(Indians discovering Lewis and Clark)

(I’m scareder of him than I am of the Injuns)

(The Herd Quitter)

(Moving Out)

(Caught in the Act)

(The Ambush)

(Indian Hunters’ Return)

(Six Reins to Kingdom Come)

(Free Trapper)

(When the Land Belonged to God)

(Charles M. Russell and his Friends)

(York)
York was a slave who was part of the Lewis and Clark expedition.  The Natives in this lodge had never seen a black man before and were fascinated by his pigmentation.

(Medicine Whip)

(Piegan Squaw, 1901)

(Blackfoot War Chief)

Finally, Mr. Russell provided book illustrations.  This is the “The Story of the Trapper”, by Agnes Laut, 1902.

I hope to travel to Great Falls soon so that I might be able to explore more of Mr. Russell’s art at namesake museum.