In the Wake of the Buffalo Hunters 1911

Charles M. Russell made this painting of a hunting party with oil on canvas. It feels like Russell laid down the tones first, like a wash, and then came back in to pick out the details, it’s a beautiful process. I love the way he captures the light, it’s almost like he’s painting with it. The colors are muted, warm, but there’s a sense of sadness in the scene, a kind of melancholic beauty. Look at that skull in the foreground, like a memento mori. The brushwork is loose and expressive, especially in the grass. It’s not about being precise, it’s about capturing the feeling of the place. It looks like he loaded up the brush and let it dance across the canvas. Russell reminds me of Homer, both of them painting these epic scenes of American life but with such a raw, human touch. They remind us that art isn’t just about what you see, it’s about how you feel, and that there’s always more than one way to tell a story.