When White Men Turn Red 1922

Charles M. Russell made this painting, When White Men Turn Red, with oil paint and a whole lot of storytelling. Look at the way he flicks and daubs the paint to build up the landscape. It’s like he’s not just painting what he sees, but also the feeling of the open range. There’s a looseness to the brushwork, especially in the foreground grasses, that really grabs me. See how the light hits the river in the distance? It's like a ribbon of gold, painted with these confident, broad strokes. You can almost feel the heat radiating off the canvas. Then, closer in, the way he renders the figures on horseback – it's not about perfect detail, but more about capturing their movement and presence in the space. Russell reminds me a bit of Frederic Remington, but with a touch more heart, maybe. Ultimately, it's that tension between detail and looseness, between representation and suggestion, that makes this piece so compelling, don’t you think?