Original Pastel Painting “Lucero’s House” circa 1916 [R]

New Mexico became an art destination for many Eastern and Midwestern artists in the early 20 ^th century. It became a State in 1912 and built the Museum of New Mexico in 1917. The Museum was the first in the nation to be completely open to all artists for display of their works. There were no vetting requirements. While many artists were settling in Taos and eagerly recording the lives of the natives there, others settled in Santa Fe and chose a more modernist approach to their paintings.

Painters such as William Penhallow Henderson chose to interpret the landscape of their newfound home in a manner to evoke an understanding of the culture and nature rather than just recording them. Representational paintings rather than photographic realistic paintings were their style—using color and a modernist approach to interpret what they were witnessing.

Henderson’s pastel paintings are full of color as a result of his use of layers of pure pastel. His compositions in this medium are energetic and enticing. He rejected objectivity for emotion in his work.

This painting of his neighbor Lucero’s house is rich in color and abstract in nature. Color abounds in flowers, trees and hillsides. Many see New Mexico as brown earth in its buildings and landscape, but Henderson saw the beauty of its color even if he enhanced it in his work.

Provenance: This painting was part of the Henderson estate that was handled by Owings-Dewey Fine Art, Santa Fe. It is not signed, as many in the estate, but carries the imprimatur of Owings-Dewey Fine Art. It is in excellent condition and framed using acid-free materials. The frame is a handmade and hand carved gold leaf frame in the style of the period.