Jerked Down 1907

This painting of cowboys wrangling cattle, named Jerked Down, was made by Charles M. Russell. Look at the energy, the horses at full gallop, and the cattle kicking up dust. The colors are mostly earthy and warm, with a striking blue sky peeking through. The way Russell uses paint is fascinating. It's not overly blended or smooth; you can see the brushstrokes, the layers, which gives everything this sense of motion and immediacy. Look at the foreground, the way he’s built up the texture of the earth and sagebrush using different strokes and hues. The way the light catches those rough edges makes the scene feel so alive. It feels like art is an ongoing conversation. Russell takes something from the academic painting of his day and then smashes it up a bit. He’s not so different from someone like George Bellows, who’s also capturing a specific slice of Americana in paint. With Russell, there’s a sense that the West isn’t just a place, it’s also a state of mind, full of excitement and uncertainty.