On the Trail 1902

Charles M. Russell made this watercolor painting, called On the Trail, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Look how the scene emerges from a wash of delicate earth tones. Can you imagine Russell dabbing and blending, coaxing the figures out of the ground? There’s a real lightness of touch here. I bet he had a feeling for the open spaces and the tough conditions of the West. I think it might be about a group of Indigenous men moving across a sun-baked landscape. The brushwork feels both precise and intuitive. Like, see how the shadows cast by the horses almost feel like more horses—ghostly echoes following close behind? He captures the feeling of being under a bright sun. I wonder if that’s why he’s given the work such a light touch? You know, like he doesn't want to weigh it down? Artists like Russell show us how paintings can be about storytelling, sure, but also about feeling and being in the world.