Much as my first post may have seemed like a rant against knockoffs and ripoffs, there is one fact that overrides my objections. I'm po. Like, open the wallet and moths come out - level po. Heck, I can't even afford to put the "or" on the back end of "po". Two letters? Too much!!!
For me, it's all a matter of what kind of deal I'm getting on the pieces offered. If I can find an original, or one from an original run of a bronze and I can afford it, then sure! That's what I'm going to buy. But if I find a decent reproduction for a silly low price, then why not? That's where my Charles Marion Russell pieces come in.
I've always been a huge fan of Russell, more so even than of his contemporary and friend, Frederic Remington. In my opinion, ol' Charlie had a crackin' sense of humor, and it comes through most clearly in his sculptures. To me, they have a playfulness, a joie de vivre, that is really lacking in most Western art. Most artists seem to have a serious point to make with their art - even the way they capture play makes a serious statement. Charlie's work, on the other hand, is imbued with that playfulness instead of merely illustrating it. If I were at a gallery opening of his one-man show, I picture him with a tumbler of whiskey in his hand, poking me in the side and sharing a smile and chuckle over one of his sculptures. It's like being in on the joke.
The first one here is titled "Scalp Dancer". It is signed with Russell's name and buffalo skull mark, but there are no foundry chop marks or catalogue numbers (most of his original bronzes were not limited by edition size, but by how many he could sell). I believe it was made sometime in the 1980's, but I'm not sure. It's in great shape, with no visible or known flaws, and is quite substantial and heavy. I bought it for peanuts (I ate crackers that night, having spent the peanuts), considering the actual going rate for a reproduction like this is well in the order of ten times more. As a bonus, the seller was in my home town, and it was an easy drive to pick it up (and I saved on shipping). Score!
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| "Scalp Dancer" by Charles Marion Russell, posthumous copy, front |
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| "Scalp Dancer" by Charles Marion Russell, posthumous copy, right |
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| "Scalp Dancer" by Charles Marion Russell, posthumous copy, back |
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| "Scalp Dancer" by Charles Marion Russell, posthumous copy, left |
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| "Scalp Dancer" by Charles Marion Russell, posthumous copy, signature |
The second piece is titled "Buffalo Rubbing Rock" and was one of a pair intended as bookends. The seller only had one, and who needs half of a pair? Well, as a matter of fact, I don't mind that at all. I figure this is a third or fourth generation recast made somewhere around the 1950's-60's. The detail is nowhere near as sharp as it should be, but the patina and marble suggest the date. Again, it was cheap - really cheap. I think the scrap value of the bronze is actually higher. Like "Scalp Dancer", this is signed CM Russell, dated 1921 and bears his buffalo skull device, but no foundry marks. An almost identical one sold at Bonham's very recently (last week) for $625. SCORE!!
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| "Buffalo Rubbing Rock" by Charles Marion Russell, 1921, bronze, posthumous recast, front |
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| "Buffalo Rubbing Rock" by Charles Marion Russell, 1921, bronze, posthumous recast, right |
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| "Buffalo Rubbing Rock" by Charles Marion Russell, 1921, bronze, posthumous recast, back |
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| "Buffalo Rubbing Rock" by Charles Marion Russell, 1921, bronze, posthumous recast, left |
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| "Buffalo Rubbing Rock" by Charles Marion Russell, 1921, bronze, posthumous recast, signature |
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