A Wounded Grizzly 1906

Charles M. Russell made "A Wounded Grizzly" with watercolor, and what strikes me is how the whole scene is kind of dissolving before our eyes. It's all about the process here, how the paint moves and mingles. The texture feels almost like a memory, not quite solid. Look how the light hits the bear's fur, it's all brushstrokes and layered washes, like he's trying to capture the very essence of 'bear-ness' rather than just painting a bear. See the way the blue seeps into the trees, giving everything this dreamy, haunted feel? That explosive puff of smoke, right between the hunters, is almost cartoonish! It's these little touches that make you realize Russell wasn't just documenting a scene, he was telling a story, adding his own spin. It reminds me of how Philip Guston used to bend reality to get at a deeper truth. Art's not about showing us exactly what is, but what could be.