The Call, 1910. Charles M. Russell.
Oil on canvas, 7 3/4 x 11 1/2 inches. Charles M. Russell Museum, Gift of the Josephine Trigg Estate.
Charles M. Russell was an avid lover of nature. While working with Jake Hoover as a trapper and hunter, Russell did not take part in the actual hunting. Instead, he helped dress the animals and learned their anatomy, which helped him record proportions accurately in his art. In some of Russell's more famous works, like The Exalted Ruler (1912), elk become symbols of political change, a gentle reminder of how power waxes and wanted for the good of all. Though doubtful at this proximity, Russell would have seen, heard, and envisioned scenes similar to The Call during his times with Jake Hoover in the foothills above the Judith Basin, as well as while in Glacier National Park, which was established in 1910, the same year as this painting. During the fall months, bull elk seeking procreation opportunities with female elk make a primal bugling sound that can be heard for miles around.
