Charles Marion Russell, In the Enemy’s Country, 1921. Oil paint on canvas; 24 x 36 in. Denver Art Museum: Gift of the Magness Family in memory of Betsy Magness, 1991.751. Photo by Christina Jackson, courtesy Denver Art Museum

frame height: 35 in, 88.9 cm; frame width: 47 in, 119.38 cm; frame depth: 3 in, 7.62 cm; canvas height: 24 in, 60.9600 cm; canvas width: 36 in, 91.4400 cm

Petrie Institute of Western American Art

Petrie Institute of Western American Art

This object is currently on view

Because of his experience working with cattle, his friendships with Native Americans, and his talent with paintbrush and clay, the self-taught Charles Marion Russell became a preeminent artist of the Old West. While Russell’s subjects were meticulously observed, they were also a product of a natural storyteller’s lively imagination. Here, he captures the glowing jewel tones of Montana skies and confident yet careful Kootenai hunters striding alongside their horses, which are draped to appear like bison, to safely travel through enemy Blackfeet country.

Su experiencia de trabajo con ganado, sus amistades entre los nativos y su talento con el pincel y la arcilla hicieron de Charles Marion Russell un artista notable del Viejo Oeste, incluso siendo autodidacto. Si bien sus temas eran producto de una observación meticulosa, también los animaba la viva imaginación de este narrador innato. Aquí capta los tonos radiantes del cielo de Montana al fondo de unos cazadores kootenai que avanzan resueltos y a la vez cautelosos junto a sus caballos, cubiertos para que parezcan bisontes, a fin de atravesar a salvo el territorio enemigo de los blackfeet.

(Morgan Wunderlich Galleries), Chicago, IL; George A Bates, Cary, IL; "Private Collection", Scottsdale, AZ, 1989; (Findlay Galleries), Chicago, IL; Purchased by Sharon Magness; Gifted to the Denver Art Museum, 1991.

• Brown Palace Hotel, 11/1921-12/1921
• School of the Arts Gallery, Santa Barbara CA, 2/19/1923-2/26/1923
• Biltmore Salon, Los Angeles CA, 3/26/1924-4/9/1924
• Home of Mr. and Mrs. Milie Bunnell, Duluth MN, 11/16/1924-12/11/1924
• Arthur Harlow and Company, NY, 1/1925
• Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 2/3/1925-2/27/1925
• Art League of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA, 1/3/1927-1/17/1927
• Biltmore Salon Los Angeles CA, 1/24/1927-2/12/1927
• Grand Central Galleries, New York, 11/8/1927-11/26/1927
• Grand Central Art Gallerys, NY, 10/24/1928-11/7/1928
• Vose Galleries, Boston MA., 11/13/1928-11/24/1928
• "The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture"—Denver Art Museum, 10/17/2009 - 01/10/2010
• The Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, 02/06/2010 - 05/06/2010, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 06/06/2010 - 08/29/2010
• 2 year loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to exhibit in the renovated American Art Galleries, 01/17/2012 - 04/17/2014
• "BackStory: Western American Art in Context"—History Colorado, 3/18/2017 - 2/11/2018
• “The Russells in Denver, 1921” — Denver Art Museum, 10/1/2023 – 6/30/2024