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Berninghaus biographer Gordon E. Sanders wrote, “Living in Taos during the late 1920s was a unique experience not found anywhere else in the modern world. For most of the residents, life was primitive by comparison to other American communities. Houses were made of adobe with three-foot-thick walls to keep the heat out in the summer and the warmth in during the sub-zero winter storms. Wood-burning fireplaces, oil lamps, water wells, unpaved streets and outhouses all created an atmosphere of hardship. To the north was the ancient Pueblo and its Indians, a totally separate culture older than time. It was like living in two ages at the same time. In one culture, there were dinner parties and talk of the world situation – economics, art, music and literature – a potpourri of wit and humor. The other culture was a step back in time – a time of hunting with bow and arrow, buffalo and corn dances, and colorful ceremonies offering tribute to the rain and sun and nature’s abundance.

“It was in this tiny world of contrasts during the 1920s that Oscar Berninghaus did some of his finest work.”

PROVENANCE
H. Clayton Peterson, Denver, Colorado, 1980
Present owner, by descent

Condition ReportSurface is in good condition. Faint bar mark on the left side. Several faint hairline cracks throughout. Small spots of inpainting in sky.

Important Notice: Statements of condition are provided as a service to potential bidders; such statements are educated opinions and should not be regarded as facts. The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction has no responsibility for any errors or omissions.