DO YOU LIKE C. M. RUSSELL PAINTINGS?

[italiansport]

When I was doing firearms appraisals for the Arizona Collectibles show last year we had a couple walk in with a Russell. It turned out to be an original and appraised at $600 to $900K. You could hear their screams across the room.
Jim

 

[jrm53]

I bought a C M Russell framed picture from Craig's list it is titled "When guns were their passports" it shows a couple of mounted prospectors/cowboys with rifles and pistols and a group of indians it looks like a real painting with brush strokes but it is embrossed on the canvas and it is not bright like it has faded. Jeff

 

[Bat Guano]

The CMR museum in Great Falls was still just the cabin in the late 60s. Admission was free. I was stationed at Malstrom, and spent quite a bit of time in that museum. Almost like being in a time machine, surrounded by Charlie's masterpieces.

The new museum is huge. Beautiful, but the old one suited me fine. Some great memories.

 

[Wrench6]

My favorite would be "The Call of the Law." Closely followed by "When Shadows Hint Death."

 

[LittleCooner]

I was only in Great Falls once, back in 03. I made it a point to the people in the party that we were going to the C M Russell museum. Everyone left a Russell fan and I left a bigger Russell fan than before. Yes, I love his work, he captured the true essence of the American west. If I ever make it back to that part of the world, I will once again find a few hours to look and marvel at his works.

 

[Texas Star]

Yes, I like his art a lot.


I was once fortunate to work security in a building where the owner was a wealthy real estate magnate and he liked Western art. He had a number of Russell paintings. A big reason why I was there at night was to protect those paintings and those by other, mostly Western and wildlife, artists.

 

[Cyrano]

I've been to the Amon Carter Museum; beautiful stuff in there. Russell's book: "Trails Plowed Under" is every bit as good as his paintings.

 

[akviper]

My grandfather and grandmother were friends with Mr. Russel. Every year they would receive a Christmas card from him. The card had hand drawn personalized Christmas theme pictures in addition to a very nice letter written inside. My mother saved the letters in a wooden box and had several.

Unfortunately, when my grandmother died, my mother's younger brother decided he wasn't getting his fair share of the family ranch so he "cleaned out" the attic and burned all my mom's stuff still at the ranch.

It would have been great if the Christmas cards survived. It broke my mother's heart.

 

[jag312]

I don't have the wealth to buy any Russell paintings, but I do collect paintings by Astley David Middleton (not Montague) Cooper and his nephew Benjamin Raborg. Both Cooper and Raborg were contemporaries of Russell, and Cooper at one time lived with Red Cloud's group of Oglala Sioux.

 

[rwsmith]

It's some kind of talent....

..that can stop time and paint animals and people in action so that you can almost see them moving. And the details. And the 'you are there' authenticity.

 

[DoubleAdobe]

When I was a kid, a big old copy of "Bronc to Breakfast" was on the wall in the Valley Bank in Willcox Az. It got me to read up on Mr. Russell as a young kid and an interesting character he was.

 

[mtgianni]

I drop in to the Russel museum at least every other year. He was a magnificent portray er of people and situations.
I once was asked to light a furnace and told it was downstairs. I went down the stairs, turned the corner and was met by a 6' tall 12 ' wide Russel painting. from the $$$ in the house it was authentic. I was sorry I had no camera and could only view it from 3' back.

 

[Ed Fowler]

CMR was a great artist, he did not work for money, he worked because he had to, he was an addict. A pencil and piece of paper, even an old grocery sack or chalk and a sidewalk or some clay and he would have created his work.

Most artists seem to run with women who have no understanding or appreciation of their work and make very poor choices for their partners.

Nancy Russell came into his life, pretty much dominated him and made him recognized as a star. Her book is a good one also.Without her I feel there would be very little known about Charles M Russell.

Frank Linderman played a heavy roll also, I think.

 

[Ogandydancer]

I would love to see some of Russell and Remingtons works up close and personal as they say but probably never will.

 

[crazyphil]

I would love to see some of Russell and Remingtons works up close and personal as they say but probably never will.

Never say never. P. S. I like your handle. I too was a gandy
dancer in my younger days. I wonder if many folks know what
a gandy dancer is/was?

 

[Qball]

I wish i could paint the inside my house with paintings of Remington and Russell

But that mean i have to get a house first

 

[Ed Fowler]

Remington could paint, he had the technical skill and did some beautiful work. It was just that what he painted was not necessarily so.

A friend died years ago, he had collected a lot of books of western art. Some of them combine Remington and Russell in the same book as if they were equals, with no comment about the differences. I feel that is a sacrilege.