Charles Russell

I am sure most of the readers do not know about Charles Russell. Let me tell you.

Charles Russell (1864-1926) was a famous artist known for his paintings, drawings, and sculptures. And you must be wondering why I am writing about him in this blog spot....the reason is this famous artist was born in St. Louis, Missouri.

Charles always dreamed of being a cowboy. In 1880, at the age of 16 he began sketching and at the same age he left for Montana in order to fulfill his dreams. He spent a decade working as a ranch hand and cowboy. In his spare time he sketched what he saw. At nineteen, Russell completed his earliest watercolor. Russell continued to paint, sketch, and sculpt scenes of the west at a time when few others were focused on the subject. Many of his works reflect the culture of Native Americans. After 1919, he spent winters in California, where a strong following developed among the movie colony.

Charles painted and sculpted images of the western frontier as he witnessed them. His popular paintings, watercolors, and sketches and are widely recognized as capturing the spirit of the vanished and romantic era of American history, documenting the old west and the daily life of fur traders, cowboys, and Native Americans. Over 30 pieces of Russell's art and the work of other western artists, including O.C. Seltzer and Edward Borein, will be on view at the Frye Art Museum beginning November 21, 1998. The exhibition is named "Saga of the West: Selections from the Charles M. Russell Museum" and features selections from the C. M. Russell Museum.

Actors William S. Hart, Douglas Fairbanks, and Will Rogers were avid collectors of Russell art. By the time of his death, the artist had produced over 4,000 works of art, including his popular bronze sculptures. Take a look at Russell's art.