As we celebrate Charles M. Russell this month, I’ve been reading through the many great Russell books that have been written about the painter, sculptor and cowboy. And the one I keep coming back to is his own book, Trails Plowed Under. The 1927 collection of stories includes an introduction from Will Rogers, who wrote a letter to his friend after he died.
“Hello Charley old hand, How are you?” Rogers begins. “I just thought I would drop you a line and tell you how things are a working on the old range since you left. Old Timer you don’t know how we miss you, Gee but it’s been lonesome since you left, even to us away down here in California, where we dident get to see near as much of you as we wanted to anyhow. But think what all them old Montana Waddies are thinking. Why some of these old Birds would miss their wives less than they do you.”
The letter is a eulogy to Russell, but also a personal and heartfelt acknowledgment to the artist about how greatly he was missed. Rogers penned the letter at some point after Russell’s death in the fall of 1926, and before the book was published the following year. It had been less than a year, but for Rogers the sadness was still right there.
Now, here we are at 100 years since Russell’s death on October 24, 1926. The wound of his loss has healed, but his influence and legacy remain as strong as ever. Western art has never been, nor will ever be, one single artist. And yet Russell, even a century later, still retains a powerful presence within the American West. Auctions continue to sell his work at six- and seven-figure prices. Dealers still scramble to identify and acquire paintings and sculpture. Museums, even non-Western institutions, have Russells in their collections. Collectors are still chasing down those popular and sought-after pieces. And, maybe most importantly, artists are still following his lead by depicting the authentic West through art.
In this issue we have previews of several Russell events and exhibitions, and we also have a feature from Russell author Larry Len Peterson. We often joke that every issue is a Russell issue, but this one is truly special as we look back and honor the original Cowboy Artist.
Michael Clawson
Executive Editor
P.S. We recorded a very special Charlie Russell episode of our podcast, the American Art Collective. It’s Episode 403. Enjoy!
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