Original Oil Painting of Regional Landscape [R]

Willard Clark was born in Massachusetts but raised in Buenos Aires where his father was president of General Motors in Argentina. In the 1920s, Clark was heading from the East Coast to California to pursue his career in art. Stopping in Santa Fe on the way to California, he fell in love with the small town. It reminded him of Argentina because of all the Spanish influence and language. He never made it to California, but spent his life in Santa Fe.

Clark may be best known for his printmaking and graphic arts, but he also painted with oils. He was best known for landscape renditions.

This small landscape is beautifully executed in oil on panel. It is not titled so the location is unknown but is most likely a small northern New Mexico village near Santa Fe or more northern up towards Taos. Note the extraordinary use of brilliant color and texture.

The artist signed in the lower left. The painting is in original excellent condition, and is framed in what appears to be the original early 20^th century gold metal leaf frame. The white liner is of a style used prior to the use of fabric for liners.

Provenance: This painting hung in the historic 150 year-old Hubble house. A, now, living museum in Parjarito neighborhood in the South Valley of Albuquerque, NM. A house which has acted as trading post, stagecoach stop, and post office in the years since James L. Hubbell and wife Juliana Gutierrez built it just after the civil war.

Reference: Willard Clark Printer & Printmaker by David Farmer. Four-O Publishing, Abilene. 2000.