Original Painting “Thunderhead at Domingo Baca Canyon” [SOLD]

Wilson Hurley (1924-2008) is probably the best-known 20^th century artist from Albuquerque.  He is famous for the magnificent clouds in his paintings.  There are two very large Hurley paintings on display in the Albuquerque Airport that both display beautiful New Mexico skies with wonderful clouds.  A standard comment when one witnesses a summer sky of storm clouds is "that's a Wilson Hurley sky".

Wilson Hurley attended high school in Santa Fe when his family moved there in 1935.  His mother arranged for him to study art as a teenager with several famous Santa Fe artists when it became obvious to her that he had an interest in art.  He attended the Military Academy at West Point, served in the United States Air Force and attended law school after leaving the military.  He practiced law for 14 years in Albuquerque before pursuing art as a full-time career in 1965.

Hurley achieved fame early in his career.  In 1991, he was selected to paint five large murals for the new wing of the Cowboy Hall of Fame and in 1996 he was again commissioned by the Cowboy Hall of Fame to paint 15 paintings, each depicting sunset over an iconic American landscape such at the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park and others.

This magnificent sunset over Domingo Baca Canyon, a rugged part of the Sandia Mountains on the east side of Albuquerque, is reminiscent of Hurley’s painting style.  The billowing cloud reflects the pink of the setting sun as the background clouds are dispersed by the upper winds.  A painting without strikingly beautiful clouds would not be a Wilson Hurley painting.

The painting is framed in the original frame which is still in very good condition.  A pencil notation on the frame states “Especially framed for Wilson Hurley” followed by a signature that is not discernable but is probably an Albuquerque framer of the time.  The painting is signed Wilson Hurley in lower left. A paper label on verso has the numbers 88-65 which could indicate a completion date of 1988, although the painting is not dated on the front.  The paper label is signed by the artist.

Condition: very good condition