Her Heart Is on the Ground 1917

Charles Russell painted “Her Heart Is on the Ground” using oil on canvas, and it’s really something. What strikes me is how he builds up the scene, not with tight detail, but with these broad, almost impressionistic strokes. It feels like he’s less interested in perfect representation and more in capturing a feeling, a mood. Look at how the colors blend in the landscape – the oranges, yellows, and blues kind of bleeding into each other. And then you see the way he’s rendered the grass, these energetic flicks of paint that give it so much life, the very texture seems to bristle with energy. Then there’s the figures, painted with a touch that feels both respectful and intimate. There’s an obvious story being told, but I love how Russell leaves space for us to feel into it, to bring our own sense of narrative. This reminds me of Frederic Remington whose art also focused on the American West, and the way they both leave space for interpretation reminds me that art is as much about the questions it raises as the answers it gives.