VERSO
Label, Mongerson Gallery, Chicago, IL
Label, Santa Fe Passenger Dept. Painting #139, Sys #599

LaVerne Nelson Black, like several other Taos artists, completed commissions for the Santa Fe Railway that were ultimately displayed in the line’s larger offices. In 1937, he was also commissioned by the Public Works Administration to paint four murals for the United States Post Office in Phoenix, focusing on the history of Arizona from earliest days of the first settlers.

It was not until the late 1930s that LaVerne Nelson Black received the recognition he justly deserved. His paintings were characterized by broad strokes enhanced by use of the palette knife, blending bold colors, often in warm hues to convey the spirit of the Southwest.