Cowboy Sport - Roping a Wolf by Charles M. Russell
Charles M. Russell | Cowboy Sport - Roping a Wolf | 1890 | Oil on canvas | 20 inches x 35 3/4 inches
About the Work
Wolves were a nuisance on the range during Russell's cowboy days. Deprived of game to eat, they preyed on the cattle. Ranchers fought back as best they could and cowboys also did their bit and had a little fun in the bargain. Whenever they startled a wolf during their chores, they gave chase and roped it. Once exhausted from its struggle with the rope, the wolf's life was ended with a pistol shot.
Cowboy Sport - Roping a Wolf is bursting with energy and shows great care for detail. The faces of the riders are distinctive, no doubt because Russell, still a working cowboy in 1890, was portraying two friends. The lead rider appears a little grim, but his companion is evidently enjoying himself, while the wolf, with its sneaky, backward-glancing expression, is also clearly in the spirit of things.
