Life Saver 1910

Charles Russell made this watercolor, Life Saver, in 1910, and the first thing I notice is how he lets the white of the paper shine through. He doesn't try to cover everything up, and that gives the painting a real sense of light and movement. Look at the horses, for instance: see how the paint is thin and transparent, almost like a stain? You can see the brushstrokes, the way he flicks the paint to suggest the texture of their coats and the dust kicking up around them. It's a really physical process. It's like he's not just painting a picture, but also capturing a moment in time. The man is pulling hard on the reins, you can see the tension, and there's a kind of dark humour in how he uses the horse and buggy as an obstacle to the new car. Russell's paintings, like those of Winslow Homer, are a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation about how we see and experience the world. There's always room for interpretation, and that's what makes it so exciting.