Timeline

Charles Marion Russell was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on March 19, 1864. His family planned for him to enter the prosperous family business, but Russell's thoughts and dreams were about the American West even as a youngster. His parents sent him to Burlington Military Academy in New Jersey, but after a year, the school gave up on Russell, and Russell gave up on school. Going West was in Russell's mind. His parents realized that he would never be satisfied until he went, so he was given a trip West for his sixteenth birthday. In the company of Pike Miller, Russell boarded a Union Pacific train and headed for the Miller Ranch in Montana.

Tending sheep was not the kind of life Russell had imagined for himself in the West. However, in the spring of 1881, he signed up with the Judith Ranch, where he stayed for eleven years learning the cowboy's life. Russell continued to paint and draw. Besides depicting life on the range, he also became enthralled with Indian life. For a while, Russell lived with the Blood tribe in Canada, a branch of the Blackfoot Nation. There he witnessed in-depth ceremonies and traditions of a fascinating people.

In 1893, Russell moved to Great Falls, Montana. A diverse group of people in these communities became the first collectors of Russell paintings since Russell often gave away his work to pay bar bills and personal debts. It wasn't until his marriage in 1896 that Russell became internationally known. Nancy Cooper was young, much younger than Russell, but she had the determination and drive to make Charles Russell famous. She encouraged him to devote most of his time to painting, and she tirelessly promoted his works through publishers and art galleries.

The bronze sculptures of Charles Russell offer an intimate view of this famous artist's world and reflect the character of the artist more closely than any Western bronzes created before his time. A study of these bronzes provides an excellent key to Russell's philosophy and ideals. When Charles Russell died at the age of 62 in 1926, he was internationally recognized as the American West's foremost artist. Through painting, sculptures, and drawings, he had witnessed and recorded a passing way of life.