The Bucker and the Buckeroo

This is one of Charles Russell’s later sculptures, showing his close observation of animals. Notice the naturalistic rendering of the horse trying to unseat its rider. Balancing only on its right foreleg and head, the animal thrusts its hind legs off the ground, bucking. The buckeroo holds on, his torso bending to the left, his right arm raised and right hand grasping his hat. The delicate balance of these two figures in their struggle evokes the tumultuous nature of life in the American West during the late 1800s.