Charles M. Russell (1864–1926)
Stagecoach, 1920
Transparent and opaque watercolor and ink over graphite underdrawing on paper
Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
1961.289
Russell was fascinated with stagecoach history and depicted the six-horse hitch and classic Concord coach many times in his art. In a letter written to an old cowboy friend in 1920 he praised the drivers who directed “six range-bred horses with both hands full of ribbons,” adding that “to drive these over a mountain road takes both hands, feet, and head and it’s no lady’s job.” This example is unusually small, suggesting that it might have been used as a placecard for a table setting. Nancy Russell often utilized her husband’s work in this manner, orchestrating themes for formal evenings at the Russell home.