Untitled Painting of Taos Pueblo with Drawing on Verso

This untitled oil painting was created by Albert Lujan of Taos Pueblo. As is usually the case with his subject matter, this piece features a depiction of Taos Pueblo, but it's notably unusual in two ways. Firstly, it is significantly larger and more elaborate than the typical Lujan painting. Secondly, there is a wonderful pencil drawing of a Native American man on the back of the board.

This painting of Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, is one of the strongest examples of Lujan's work that has passed through Adobe Gallery. The larger format allowed for a scene that is rich in depth and detail. Those who have visited the Pueblo will recognize the accuracy of this portrayal. The steep mountains in the background are similarly realistic, and the color palette with which these elements were created is incredibly appealing.

The painting was treated poorly, unfortunately, with some damage and discoloration appearing on the front, back, and frame. We believed that this unique piece was well worth salvaging, so we hired a restoration artist to clean and restore it. While aspects of the damage are still slightly visible, the painting overall looks to be in satisfactory condition and is quite beautiful.

The painting is signed Taos N. Mx, Alberto Lujan, Arrow in lower right. It is framed in a wood frame with a fabric interior matte.

Albert Lujan (1892-1948) Weasel Arrow was an early Taos Pueblo painter. Lujan was ahead of his time in painting European-American style art rather than the Santa Fe Indian School style being practiced by most of the other Native American artists of his time. He, along with Albert Looking Elk Martinez and Juan Mirabal, was greatly influenced by the Anglo Taos artists of the time. The work of all three artists was shunned by collectors and the Museum of New Mexico Fine Art Gallery because it was too much like that which the Taos and Santa Fe artists produced. Today, however, collectors and museums have a great appreciation for works by the "Three Taos Pueblo Painters." Lujan, who was also a farmer and minister, never received any formal artistic training. He began painting around 1915, which would place him among the earliest known pueblo painters. He specialized in painting the multi-storied buildings at the pueblo, usually devoid of people. Typically, these views included one of the main pueblo houses or an isolated adobe residence, each framed by beehive ovens, majestic mountains, a beautiful blue sky, and, occasionally, a ristra of chile. Lujan passed away in 1948; his works are highly collectible today.

Condition: Fair condition with some visible marks and discolorations, mostly around edges, and a stain near lower right. Abrasions and stains on verso, discoloration on fabric matte. A professional restoration artist cleaned the painting repeatedly, restoring it from poor condition.

Provenance: this Untitled Painting of Taos Pueblo with Drawing on Verso is from a private collection

Recommended Reading:  For a compelling and comprehensive overview of the life and artwork of Albert Lujan please see Albert Lujan: Entrepreneurial Pueblo Painter of Tourist Art (1892 - 1948) by Bradley F. Taylor, American Indian Art Magazine, Volume 25, Number 4, Autumn 2000, page 56.

TAGS: painting, Taos Pueblo, Santa Fe, Albert Looking Elk Martinez, Juan Mirabal, Albert Lujan