Charles Marion Russell

(American, 1864-1926)

Indians on the Plains, 1903

watercolor and gouache on paperboard

signed C. M. Russell (with skull cipher) and dated (lower left)

7 5/8 x 20 1/8 in.

The Estate of Henry V. Nickel, Potomac, Maryland

This lot is located in Denver.

Provenance:

Kennedy & Co., New York, New York.

Clara Peck, New York, New York.

Private Collection, New York.

Mongerson Wunderlich Gallery, Chicago, Illinois.

Acquired directly from the above.

Lot Note:

While Charles Marion Russell was a master at depicting action-packed scenes, he also excelled at capturing the lull preceding them, the moment auguring drama, arousing in the viewer a captivating sense of anticipation. Such is the case with Indians on the Plains, which portrays a group of Indians on horseback perched on an outcropping overlooking a broad Plains landscape.

The panoramic view we behold mirrors that seen by the Indians as they survey the wide expanse, perhaps in preparation for an upcoming raid or hunt. The scene illustrates the build-up of action likely to unfold soon, visually conveyed through the vertical figure of the Indian towering over the landscape, only surpassed by his ominously sharp spear. It also hints at the Indians' deep understanding of their land as a living system, which they would survey looking for clues in seasonal regrowth, changing habitats, and evolving trail markers.

After European contact and throughout the 19th century, Native Americans often served as scouts in the US Army, who sought to leverage their deep knowledge of territory and land formation to locate enemy outposts and gather strategic intelligence. In Indians on the Plains, Russell cleverly weaves centuries-old warfare and hunting tradition with the 19th-century notion of frontier and the conflicts and alliances associated with it, commenting on the adaptability and endurance of Native American tradition.

Indians on the Plains, 1903