Indian on Horseback with a Child 1901

Charles M. Russell made "Indian on Horseback with a Child" as a watercolour, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. Look how Russell applied the watercolour in washes, letting the colours blend and bleed into each other, suggesting movement and atmosphere. The paint is thin and transparent, allowing the white of the paper to shine through, creating a sense of light and airiness. See the way the shadows under the horse's hooves are rendered with quick, gestural strokes. For me, that single mark encapsulates the whole feeling of the painting: fleeting, immediate, and full of life. It reminds me a little of Winslow Homer, another master of watercolor who captured the rugged beauty of the American landscape. It’s like they're both part of an ongoing conversation about how to capture the essence of a place and a moment, without getting bogged down in too much detail.