Lot 47
  • 47

Charles Marion Russell

Estimate
150,000 - 250,000 USD
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Description

  • Charles Marion Russell
  • When Guns Were the Locks of the Treasure Box
  • signed C.M. Russell and inscribed with the artist's skull device and dated 1919 © (lower left) 
  • watercolor, gouache and pencil on paper
  • 14 1/2 by 13 7/8 inches
  • (36.8 by 35.2 cm)

Provenance

Kennedy Galleries, New York
Jack and Bonita Granville Wrather, California, 1970s (acquired from the above)
By descent to the present owner

Literature

Larry Len Peterson, Charles M. Russell: Legacy, Helena, Montana, 1999, no. 6.12, p. 322, illustrated
Larry Len Peterson, Charles M. Russell: Printed Rarities from Private Collections, Missoula, Montana, 2008, p. 136, illustrated 

Condition

The sheet is hinged to the support at reverse of upper corners. The sheet appears to be slightly toned and there is mat burn along edges beneath the current mat. There are a few pindots of possible foxing in the sky and a pinhole at center. 
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

Russell rendered the present work as an advertisement for American Bank & Trust Co. in Great Falls, Montana. 

Beginning in the late 1910s, Charles Marion Russell started to incorporate brighter, vibrant pigments into his paintings. His subtle change in palette showcased the influence of his contemporary Maxfield Parrish, a noted colorist who Russell had called “the greatest artist in the world” (as quoted in Rocky Mountain News, November 27, 1921, n.p.).  By 1919, Russell clearly understood the reality of the impending demise of the Great American West, though never sought inspiration elsewhere. "He's so individual," wrote one critic in 1919, "that modern movements in the art world, eddying around him, never touch the big simplicity of his nature" (as quoted in P. Hassrick, "Charles Russell, Painter," Charles M. Russell: A Catalogue Raisonné, Norman, Oklahoma, 2007, p. 109).



This work is number CR.UNL.563 in the online catalogue raisonné of the artist's work at www.russellraisonne.com.