Indian with Spear 1905

Charles M. Russell made "Indian with Spear" with watercolor, and you can feel the West in it. There's a real looseness, a kind of bravura in the washes that make up the horse and rider. It's like he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, the horse in motion, muscles rippling. I can feel his excitement. The tan shades of the background really evoke the sun-baked earth, while the rider is proud on his horse, looking out on his land. Russell is creating a romantic vision of the West, all adventure and open spaces. Painters like Russell and Remington were in dialogue with European painting, but here, something new and American is happening. It's like they are figuring out how to paint in a new world. And as a painter myself, I can appreciate Russell's energy here. It's infectious and I can feel the artist's creative process in his brush strokes.