Charles M. Russell (1864–1926)
The End of the Poker Game at Hop Lee's, ca. 1900
Chromolithograph
Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
1978.24
This chromolithograph, distributed by a Chicago brewer in the 1890s, depicts one part of a two-part subject that is identical to two early models in painted wax and other materials that Russell created for display in a club room on Central Avenue in Great Falls in December 1893. The Great Falls Tribune described the group as a cowboy, an Indian, and a Chinese man playing cards. “They are sitting in their accustomed way on the grass with a blanket before them,” the newspaper noted. “Each has cards in his hands but the Chinaman has the best of the layout as far as the game has progressed.” The second part of the narrative, shown in this print, depicts the end of the game as the disgruntled cowboy and Indian hold up the luckless Chinese man for his winnings. In addition to the model, Russell also produced a painting of the same subject, and it is likely that he used this commercial chromolithographic advertisement for his inspiration. In this period, Russell was copying illustrations and other published sources in order to learn more about artistic techniques such as shading, modeling, perspective, and composition.