Return of the Warriors 1906

Charles M. Russell painted 'Return of the Warriors' in 1906, probably in oil or watercolour. Look at the sketchy brushstrokes, and the way colours bleed and mingle, artmaking here is clearly a kind of recording, almost like a quick sketch or note. The whole scene is built up from layers of thin washes, look at the dry brushwork in the plants, the texture of the horses’ coats, the way Russell has used a kind of stippling effect. There's a certain vulnerability to watercolour, and I think it suits the subject matter here. The warriors have an elegance and grace to them but are also moving across a very unforgiving landscape. Notice the shadow cast by the figure and horse in the foreground, a dark presence that hints at the violence of the moment. Russell reminds me of someone like Winslow Homer, who also used watercolours to depict scenes of the American West. Both artists seem interested in the human figure against an expansive landscape and understand the visual language of mark-making. I like that each artist brings a different sense of purpose and expression through the use of very similar materials.