WHEN COWBOYS GET IN TROUBLE (THE MAD COW) BY CHARLES M. RUSSELL
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Charles M. Russell When Cowboys Get in Trouble (The Mad Cow) 1899 Oil on canvas 24 inches x 36 inches |
| Most cow work was routine. However, there were perilous moments in cowboying, and the incident shown here was one Russell painted several times. The cow, roped by heel, has lunged at a horse and rider, backing them against the side of a cutbank. A toss of its head and the horse will be gored. The cowboy reaches for his revolver as he scrambles out of the saddle to avoid being gored in the leg or crushed by his rearing mount. Russell implies more trouble ahead for the cowboy, since his gun hand is about to be snagged in the loop of his rope. The third rider, preoccupied with controlling his horse is unable to come to his aid. The action is tense, the composition tight. The brand on the cow identifies him as from the Neidringhaus N-N (N bar N) Ranch, one of the largest ranches in late 19th century northeastern Montana where Russell had been an off and on again wrangler. |