The Fireboat, 1918. Charles M. Russell.
Oil on board, 14 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches. Charles M. Russell Museum, Gift of Mrs. Wade George in memory of Wade Hampton George.
When Charles. M. Russell visited the studios of New York's top artists and illustrators in 1904, he was able to watch them work and learn new techniques for color and composition. With a newfound understanding, he returned to Montana and entered the most prolific phase of his painting career, from 1904 until his death in 1926. The Fireboat, exemplifies Russell's method of mixing pigments to optimize color and anchor figures in a three-dimensional space. Compositionally, The Fireboat is a typical Russell portrayal from the perspective of the Plains Indians versus that of a non-Native man. His use of small details -like the middle rider using Plains Indian Sign Language to sign "fire," referring to the steamboat moving along the Missouri River below - give authenticity to the story being told, accurately foreshadowing the changes to come.
