Sun River War Party 1903

"Sun River War Party" by Charles M. Russell feels like it was painted with a gritty kind of affection, the kind you get from really knowing a place. Look at how the ochres and browns of the land bleed into the horses' coats, and even up into the sky. I wonder if Russell felt himself to be on a journey with these figures, as he painted them, riding alongside. Look at the way each figure is captured on the canvas in a slightly different way. See how one rider has his spear raised high while the next man is slumped in the saddle. The horses feel almost alive, kicking up dust as they ride out of the artwork. It’s like Russell wasn’t just showing us a scene, but trying to make us feel the ride, the landscape, and the energy of it all. I bet Russell would have loved what later artists made of the American landscape too. It’s all one big, beautiful, rugged conversation.