Deer at Lake McDonald 1908

Editor: This is Charles M. Russell’s “Deer at Lake McDonald,” painted in 1908. It's a watercolor piece, and I’m struck by how tranquil and still everything seems, like a perfect snapshot of untouched wilderness. What stands out to you most about this work? Curator: For me, it’s about understanding Russell's production within the context of the burgeoning tourist industry targeting the American West. We often frame such works within art history alone, but consider the relationship between watercolor as a relatively accessible, mass-producible medium and its deployment in fostering a particular image of the Montana wilderness. The raw materials—pigments, paper—become implicated in this process. Are these materials readily available? Who had access to create with them? Who was the intended audience? Editor: So, you’re saying the medium itself, watercolor, helped democratize access to landscape imagery? Curator: Precisely. Watercolor was favored for its portability and speed, ideal for capturing scenes quickly and reproducing them easily, creating visual commodities for an eager consumer base. The apparent spontaneity actually conceals a calculated process, commodifying nature. Also note, paintings were luxury objects; the middle class might by a print, or chromolithograph from a magazine or book! How does that distinction make a difference in our evaluation? Editor: That’s fascinating! I hadn’t considered how the material choices speak to both the romantic ideal of the West and its industrialization. Curator: Consider also how the choice of depicting wildlife connects to a specific market – one interested in trophy hunting and romantic visions. Editor: I see what you mean. Thinking about the intended audience and the materials used definitely gives a new perspective to the tranquil scene. I will carry that framework with me. Curator: Exactly! Now when you consider works like this, ask how art objects became entangled with commodity culture!