The Wolfer
1900
Charles Marion Russell, the famous 'Cowboy Artist,' brings the gritty reality of the Old West to life in this 1900 sketch. The central figure, a 'wolfer' or wolf hunter, stands guard with his rifle, clad in fringed buckskin and a fur hat, embodying the rugged frontier spirit. At his feet, a scattered scene of bones and wolves hints at the brutal, often thankless job of clearing the plains of predators. Having lived as a cowboy himself, Russell used his authentic eye to depict the unglamorous, hard-working side of western expansion that Hollywood often ignored.
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