Skip to main content
Where the Best of Riders Quit
Where the Best of Riders Quit
Where the Best of Riders Quit

Where the Best of Riders Quit

Artist (American, 1864 - 1926)
Date1921-1922, cast c. 1923-1928
Mediumcast bronze
Dimensions14 1/2 x 9 7/8 x 8 inches (36.8 x 25.1 x 20.3 cm)
Credit LinePartial Bequest of H.J. Lutcher Stark, 1965 and Partial Gift of Nelda C. Stark, 1972
Object number21.1.75
ClassificationsSculptures
Label TextThe subject of the cowboy riding a bucking horse became a heroic image in art. Russell, however, showed the more down-to-earth image in this work. The cowboy is in a very dangerous situation. The horse is about to fall backwards, which could crush the rider. In Russell’s dynamic composition, the cowboy swings out of the way. Russell tells us through the title that he admires the cowboy. He is “the best of riders.” But, he also knows when to quit.
ProvenanceEdward Eberstadt and Sons, New York, New York; purchased December 4, 1957 by H.J. Lutcher Stark; ½ interest bequeathed September 2, 1965 to the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation [1]; remaining ½ interest gifted December 5, 1975 to the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation by Nelda C. Stark [1909-1999]; accessioned to the Stark Museum of Art | 1. Owned jointly by H.J. Lutcher Stark and Nelda C. Stark until his death at which point his ½ interest was bequeathed to the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation.
On View
On view
The Lunch Hour or A Happy Find
Charles Marion Russell
1910, recast c. 1955
The Bluffers
Charles Marion Russell
1924, cast c. 1929-1941, lifetime cast
The Bucker and the Buckeroo
Charles Marion Russell
1923-1924, cast c. 1923-1929, lifetime cast
The Texas Steer
Charles Marion Russell
modeled 1925, cast 1927
Meat for Wild Men
Charles Marion Russell
1920, cast 1924
The Range Father
Charles Marion Russell
1926, lifetime cast
Georg Speck [To George Speck]
Charles Marion Russell
May 18, 1923
Friend Dick [To Richard Jones]
Charles Marion Russell
May 30, 1924
Richard Jones
Charles Marion Russell
February 8, 1923
Friend Goodwin [Philip R. Goodwin]
Charles Marion Russell
May 26, 1908
Friend Goodwin [Philip R. Goodwin]
Charles Marion Russell
May 26, 1908