Camp Cook's Troubles 

Charles M. Russell made this painting, called "Camp Cook's Troubles", at a time when the myth of the American West was being constructed and sold to a country that was rapidly industrializing. Here we see the disruption of a cowboy camp through the chaos of a bucking bronco, yet the event also sheds light on the strict social hierarchy of the West at the time. The cook, in his white apron, is central, yet his labor is literally overturned by the cowboy on horseback. In the background, other cowboys are seemingly unconcerned. The painting makes visual reference to the power dynamics that existed in these frontier communities, showing a snapshot of the kind of work that underpinned this way of life. To fully understand a painting like this, we need to look at archival material, personal letters, and other historical documents. It is these resources that help us contextualize the scene. It shows us that art's meaning is reliant on social context.