CONNECTION TO LEWIS AND CLARK
Over the years, hundreds of drawings, paintings, and sculptures
have been created to illustrate the events and people of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition. These representations provide an excellent
opportunity for examining different styles of visual arts as well
as the challenges facing artists who portray historical themes.
OVERVIEW OF THIS ACTIVITY
A painting or a sculpture can capture only a brief moment in time.
This fact poses a challenge for artists, particularly those who
portray historic events. In this activity, students put themselves
in the role of an artist who has been commissioned to illustrate
a dramatic event from Captain Lewis' journal. Their task is to choose
one moment from this event to signify Captain Lewis' resourcefulness
when facing danger.
ADVANCE PREPARATION
- Download WORKSHEET:
THINKING LIKE AN ARTIST (3 pages). Make copies for each student.
- Obtain a picture of Charles Russell's mural, Lewis and Clark
Meeting the Indians at Ross' Hole. For sources, click on TEACHING
AIDS "L" and scroll to "Russell's Painting.")
- Click on JOURNAL ENTRIES "L"
and read the excerpts about this event.
- Click on CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS
and review each section.
IMPLEMENTATION
Introduction and Background
In 1911, the Montana State Legislature began looking for an artist
to paint a large mural in the legislative chamber at the capitol
building in Helena, Montana. The theme of the mural was to be something
about Montana's history.
Charles M. Russell, a noted Montana artist, submitted two drawings
for the selection committee's consideration. One of his drawings
depicted an Indian attack on a wagon train and the other portrayed
Lewis and Clark meeting the Shoshone Indians. Neither idea was accepted
by the selection committee. The first drawing was rejected because
its content was considered unsuitable, and the second because the
meeting with the Shoshones took place in what is now the state of
Idaho, not Montana.
Committee members liked Russell's style, however, so they suggested
that he paint a mural about the chance meeting between the Corps
of Discovery and the Salish (Flathead) Indians at Ross' Hole, a
beautiful valley in western Montana. As Russell researched the meeting
he discovered that it took place on September 4-5, 1805. By that
time, Meriwether Lewis had realized the Missouri River's tributaries
did not flow near those of the Columbia River. To get across the
mountains that still blocked their way, they obtained horses from
the Shoshone Indians through the help of Sacagawea, their Shoshone
interpreter. The party had not traveled far from the Shoshone encampment
when they met a group of friendly Indians (now known as Salish or
Flathead) at Ross' Hole. The Salish had never seen white people
before and the expedition members had never before seen Indians
who looked and spoke like the Salish--so each party was somewhat
astonished by the other.
The Salish were on their way to join the Shoshone for a buffalo
hunt, and they had many beautiful horses with them. They were a
generous people, too. In the few hours the two groups spent together,
Lewis and Clark obtained thirteen more horses from them. They even
traded some of the least desirable horses they already had for those
in better condition. Although communication was extremely limited
between the two groups, the entire event was generally hospitable
and pleasant.
Charles Russell accepted the commission to do the painting suggested
by the committee. The job got off to a rocky start, however. Due
to a misprint in his contract, Russell thought the finished mural
was to be 12 x 14 feet. When he learned the correct size was 12
x 24 feet, he had to drastically revise his plans. For instance,
he had to raise the roof of his log studio in Great Falls, Montana
to get the huge canvas inside.
Another problem arose when Governor Edwin L. Norris of Montana came
to Great Falls in April, 1912 to see how Russell was getting along
with the mural. Even though a couple of months had passed since
Russell was awarded the commission, the governor found that very
little had been done. Heated letters were exchanged and printed
in the pages of many Montana newspapers. "Charlie" Russell
was a famous citizen of Montana by this time and almost anything
he did (or didn't do) was news.
Russell evidently worked well under pressure because he completed
the mural in July, 1912, two months ahead of his deadline. Not only
did he paint it quickly, he painted it well. This mural is considered
by many art critics to be his finest work. It is still on display
at the state capitol building in Helena, Montana.
Once Russell accepted the commission, he was obliged to learn all
he could about the event he was going to paint. The only eyewitness
accounts of the meeting are found in the journals kept by Captain
Clark and some of their crew members. Undoubtedly, Russell read
the journals, and it is known for certain that he visited Ross'
Hole and made numerous sketches of the natural setting there. (Click
on JOURNAL ENTRIES "L"
to read the original accounts of the event.)
After doing his research, Russell then had to choose one moment
in time that would convey the excitement and significance of an
event that took place over a period of several hours. (This is true
not only about drawing and painting but sculpting as well.) Even
though Russell had a definite assignment--Lewis and Clark Meeting
the Indians at Ross' Hole--he still had to make important choices
within those limits. To experience such a challenge first-hand,
I want you to think like an artist-you don't have to be one--just
think like one. (Hand out copies of THINKING
LIKE AN ARTIST and go over the directions with the class.
Reassure students that this is not a test of their ability to draw,
but an exercise to learn how painters and sculptors work.)
Comparison of Ideas
(When students have finished with their assignments, lead them
in a discussion of the choices they made and why they chose a particular
scene to illustrate Lewis' resourcefulness. There will undoubtedly
be a variety of choices and differences of opinions. This of course
is the desired result because it demonstrates the subjective nature
of portraying a historic event.)
A Closer Look at Russell's Mural
Now that you have critiqued yourselves, let's talk about Russell's
mural. (Discuss the subjective nature of the visual arts with
questions such as the following: Why do you think Russell chose
to make the Indians the focal point of the painting rather than
Lewis and Clark? Suppose five other artists had been given the same
assignment as Russell-would all of their paintings have been alike?
If you were an artist, how would you compose this subject? Etc.)
Russell's mural is considered a masterpiece for many reasons--its
overall composition with the Indians in the foreground; the energy
and movement it conveys as the horses sweep forward; the dramatic
sky over the distant mountains; and Russell's handling of the story
itself with Lewis, Clark, and other members of the Corps of Discovery
in the background.
Nevertheless, Russell took his lumps from the critics as most artists
do-so if you plan to be an artist, be sure you can take criticism!
(Ask students if they detect any errors in the mural.) Most
people would never notice the "errors" that have been
pointed out in the mural. For instance, critics wonder why Russell
painted York, (Clark's slave in the lower right corner tending to
the horses), in formal dress rather than buckskins. Anthropologists
point out that details of the Indians' costumes are incorrect for
that particular group. Other critics say the mountain scenery gives
the impression of spring rather than fall when the event actually
took place. Still others claim that the Bitterroot Mountains in
the background are actually more rugged than they appear in the
mural. But nobody denies that the overall impression of this work
is stunning.
CONCLUSION
In this activity, we have considered one of the challenges faced
by artists of historic events-choosing and portraying a moment in
time that will communicate the significance of the entire event.
To do this, artists sometimes use artistic license. This term means
the right or freedom of an artist to alter reality for the sake
of artistic expression or evoking a desired emotion in the viewer.
Mistakes and artistic license are not the same. In ACTIVITY
L-2 we will take up the issue of artistic license.
Sources of Information in This Activity:
Burnham, Patricia M. "Lewis and Clark at Ross's Hole: The story
behind Charles M. Russell's 1912 painting, one of the great works
of American art." We Proceeded On, August, 2000, pp.
18-25.)
Dear, Elizabeth A. The Grand Expedition of Lewis & Clark
as Seen by C. M. Russell. Great Falls, MT: C. M. Russell Museum,
2000.
FOLLOW-UP SUGGESTIONS
- Follow the same general lesson plan but have students design
a piece of sculpture portraying Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea. For
assistance, click on TEACHING AIDS
"L" and scroll to "Sculpture Sources for Activity
L-1."
- Divide the class into groups and have each group research the
work of a contemporary artist doing Lewis and Clark themes. For
a starting point, click on CONTEMPORARY
ARTISTS.
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