A Bad Hoss 1904

Charles M. Russell made this watercolour, "A Bad Hoss", sometime around 1904, and right away you can see it’s all about movement, isn’t it? The horse and rider are captured mid-buck, with a wildness that feels totally unleashed. Check out how the paint is applied—loose, watery washes combined with these sharp, confident strokes. It’s like he's trying to pin down something that won’t sit still. The palette is warm, earthy tones, punctuated by the brilliant red of the rider’s neckerchief, which really draws your eye. It gives the whole piece a kind of urgency. Look at the way Russell handles the dust cloud beneath the horse. It’s almost abstract. You can practically feel the heat and chaos of the moment. Russell’s work reminds me a little of Frederic Remington, although I think Russell has a looser style. You can see he really knew his subject inside out. For me, this painting is a reminder that art is always a kind of translation, an attempt to capture something fleeting and alive.