jjares reviewed Charles Marion Russell: The Life and Legacy of the Wild West?s Most Prolific Artist on + 3270 more book reviews
Russell was born in 1864, before the end of the Civil War and his parents found it difficult to keep him in school. At the age of 16, Russell quit school and went to work on a Montana sheep ranch. By the age of 18, he was working on a Montana cattle ranch. He constantly doodled and worked on sketches, often ignoring work.
Russell probably wouldn't have found success except for his astute marriage to Nancy Cooper. Russell wasn't sure there was a market for his art and he gave most of his early works away. Russell struggled with the idea of working full-time on his art. He had no business sense and Nancy took matters in hand. After a couple of lean years, they started to make money from his art. Russell became a local celebrity while his wife orchestrated showings and exhibitions across the US and around the world. Russell worked in watercolors, oils, and sculptures. He also enjoyed a reputation as a gifted writer.
Unable to have children, Nancy and Charles adopted a boy. There are no records of the boy's later life. Russell died after surgery for goiter; it is thought he suffered from congestive heart failure. Russell lived until the age of 62, leaving a legacy of over 4000 landscapes, cowboys, and Native Americans, before moving to bronze. Through his work, Russell mourned the damage done by America's western expansion. He particularly liked to draw Indian women.
The state of Montana mourned Charles Russell as a native hero (although he was born in St. Louis, Missouri). Some of Russell's work is at the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art in Tulsa, OK.
Russell probably wouldn't have found success except for his astute marriage to Nancy Cooper. Russell wasn't sure there was a market for his art and he gave most of his early works away. Russell struggled with the idea of working full-time on his art. He had no business sense and Nancy took matters in hand. After a couple of lean years, they started to make money from his art. Russell became a local celebrity while his wife orchestrated showings and exhibitions across the US and around the world. Russell worked in watercolors, oils, and sculptures. He also enjoyed a reputation as a gifted writer.
Unable to have children, Nancy and Charles adopted a boy. There are no records of the boy's later life. Russell died after surgery for goiter; it is thought he suffered from congestive heart failure. Russell lived until the age of 62, leaving a legacy of over 4000 landscapes, cowboys, and Native Americans, before moving to bronze. Through his work, Russell mourned the damage done by America's western expansion. He particularly liked to draw Indian women.
The state of Montana mourned Charles Russell as a native hero (although he was born in St. Louis, Missouri). Some of Russell's work is at the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art in Tulsa, OK.
