When Sioux and Blackfoot Meet 1904

Charles M. Russell made this painting, “When Sioux and Blackfoot Meet,” with oil on canvas. The way he lays down the paint is interesting, it’s washy and blurred, like he’s trying to capture the heat haze of the open plains. And you can see how he lets the paint drip in places, like in the legs of the horses. He hasn’t tried to hide the process, or pretend that the painting is a window onto the world. I feel like he’s interested in telling a story about a place, and a time, and maybe also about painting itself. The way he’s used color is interesting too, all those muted browns and grays, but then he’s popped a bit of brighter color in the figures to draw your eye. I wonder if he’s ever looked at Delacroix? There’s a similar sense of movement and energy in both their works, an interest in capturing a moment in time, like it’s still unfolding before your eyes. It’s all so fleeting.