96

Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), Start of the Roundup, 1898
Dimensions: 14 1/2 x 20 1/2
Framed/base Dimensions: 23 x 28 7/8 x 1
Signature: signed and dated lower left: CM Russell (artist cipher) 1898

watercolor on paper
14 1/2 x 20 1/2 in.

  • Provenance: The Artist
    Estate of Frances G. Evans, Arizona
    Sotheby's New York, December 1984, Lot 105
    Acquired by KSA Industries, Inc. from the above
  • Exhibited: American Traditions: Art from the Collections of Culver Alumni, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian & Western Art, Indianapolis, IN, December 12, 1993 – March 6, 1994
  • Notes:

    Titans of the American West from KSA Industries, Inc: A Bud Adams Company

    Catalogue Raisonné: CR.UNL.502

    “By the end of the 1890s, living and working in north-central Montana since the age of sixteen, Russell reached a pinnacle of achievement in the watercolor medium that few American artists of his time managed to attain...

    Russell always considered himself a better watercolorist than a painter in oils.”

    The late nineteenth century marked a pivotal era for watercolor painting in the United States. Once regarded as a marginal medium, by the 1880s watercolor emerged as a significant, respected force in American art. The American Society of Painters in Water Colors (later the American Watercolor Society) was founded in 1866 and their annual exhibitions leant gravitas to the medium and spread its popularity. The introduction of paint packaged in tubes, improved paper manufacturing, and wider availability of portable field equipment made supplies more affordable, accessible, and portable. Advances in chemistry produced a wider array of colors. By the time Russell was becoming an artist on the open ranges of Montana, watercolor supplies were readily available in the frontier towns he frequented as a young cowboy.

    Often called “the cowboy artist,” the young Russell painted and sketched during his free time on the range, and his subject matter was deeply rooted in lived experience and storytelling.

    The practice of the roundup was central to the open-range cattle industry of the late nineteenth century. Twice yearly, cowboys gathered to herd cattle, brand calves, and prepare livestock for market or seasonal movement. Russell’s painting documents these authentic scenes just as the old West was giving way to barbed wire, railroads, and modernity.

    In Start of the Roundup, a close group of mounted cowboys dominates the foreground, their horses poised in anticipation or action, while more riders charge across the open range in the background. Russell masterfully renders the sense of dust, speed, and collective endeavor, accentuated by the subtle gradations of light and earthy colors typical of his late-nineteenth-century palette.

    The central placement of the cowboys invites the viewer into the moment preceding the arduous work of herding cattle. Each figure and horse is unique: saddles, lassos, and attire are depicted with affectionate realism, suggesting firsthand knowledge of the individuals. The landscape—a blend of open sky and rough ground—reinforces the sense of vast possibility and challenge.

    More than an expertly rendered picturesque scene, Start of the Roundup is a historical document capturing the cultural memory of a storied era. Blending narrative skill, technical expertise, and historical insight, Russell invites viewers to experience the energy, risk, and camaraderie of cowboy life as it once was.

  • Condition: The painting appears to be in very good condition. The frame appears to be in good condition with general wear and tear and miter splits.

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