Bronco Busting. Driving In 1889

Charles Russell made this ink and wash artwork of cowboys sometime in the early 20th century. Cowboys were an icon of freedom and adventure. But this heroic imagery obscured the hard labor, economic pressures, and gradual decline of open-range ranching in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This image tells its story through gestures, from the cowboy on the bucking bronco to the cattle scattering wildly. The lone cowboy standing still in the right foreground is a composed figure. The sepia tones lend a sense of nostalgia, suggesting a romanticized past. Russell was not just an artist, but also a storyteller who shaped our collective understanding of the American West. If you're interested in learning more, historical archives, personal letters, and period newspapers can help shed light on how he saw himself and his place in the world. Art is a product of culture, and culture is a product of history.