But wherever they may reside, the two great murals that Charlie Russell painted for Edward Doheny number among the artist’s last and most important works. And that brings us to story’s end — how Charlie Russell “fixed” his final great work of art in order to keep his word to Edward Doheny to end his panoramic murals with the discovery of oil in California.

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As the years passed, the murals had developed a layer of dirt, cigarette smoke and patina, and it wasn’t until 1977, when the Doheny Library had them professionally cleaned and restored, that Russell’s long-forgotten fixing of his masterpiece was rediscovered. There, right at the end of the last mural, the restorers found three tiny oil derricks painted on the knoll of a hill, so small in comparison to the size of the mural that the derricks are not noticeable to a casual observer.

This was Charlie Russell’s depiction of the discovery of oil in California. And that was how Russell — in his own way — kept his word to his friend Edward Doheny. Thus, it is more than fitting to call the story of the Cowboy Artist’s method of fixing his murals, “Charlie Russell’s last legacy.”

This article was written by Lee and Susan Silva and originally appeared in the December 2005 issue of Wild West magazine. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Wild West magazine today!

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