Charles M. Russell (Library of American Art)

In 1880, Charles M. Russell headed west to Montana, where he worked as a wrangler and chronicled in paint, ink, and watercolor the West and its people. For his splendid depictions of bronco riders, roundups, and everyday ranch life, Russell soon became known as "the Cowboy Artist." Yet this "Cowboy Artist" also spent much time among the Indians and developed a sympathetic understanding of and appreciation for their efforts to preserve their way of life. Russell’s memorable paintings and drawings portray a frontier that was vanishing, not only for Indians but also for cowboys.Peter H. Hassrick discusses Russell’s work in the context of the artist’s experiences in the West and the people who influenced his artistic style.