Paying the Fiddler, 1916. Charles M. Russell.
Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches. Charles M. Russell Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Moore.
One of Russell's most dramatic works, Paying the Fiddler depicts what could happen, and often did, when vigilantes caught a rustler in the act of stealing cattle on the open range. The execution of the rustler is swift. He has been gunned down before he has even finished branding the stolen calf. Russell invests the scene with evocative details in the strong glow of the branding fire and the vigilantes' horse gear, clothing, and guns. The contrast between the brightly lit background and the shadow of the foreground intensifies the drama of the situation. The brands on the horses and the recognizable landscape help the viewer to identify the people and the places where the event occurred, south of Square Butte in the northern part of the Judith Basin.
