Buffalo Hunt No.40 1919

"Buffalo Hunt No. 40" by Charles M. Russell is a sweeping scene rendered in oil on canvas. Just look at the ochres, tans, and browns of the landscape. You can see the movement of the buffalo as they charge down the hill, a mass of energy, muscle, and hide. I can imagine Russell in his studio, layering the paint, trying to capture not just the look of the hunt, but also its feel. I wonder if he ever felt overwhelmed by the challenge of such a scene – the chaos of the hunt, the dust, the adrenaline. There is something in the dynamism and intensity of the scene that communicates feeling. It makes me think about Remington and other artists who were drawn to the American West. They are all in conversation with one another, wrestling with how to represent this epic subject matter. Each mark, each brushstroke, is like a thought, a decision, a way of making sense of the world. Ultimately, painting offers us a way of experiencing the world that is embodied, felt, and deeply personal.