Charles Berninghaus Original Painting titled “Near Tres Ritos”

C4700A-paint.jpg

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Charles Berninghaus, Western Painter
  • Category: Paintings
  • Origin: Western Artists
  • Medium: oil on board
  • Size:
    11-⅝” x 15-½” image;
    20-⅜” x 24-⅜” framed
  • Item # C4700A
  • Price: $4500

"Near Tres Ritos" is an original painting by New Mexico artist Charles Berninghaus. The City of Tres Ritos is in Taos County in the State of New Mexico.  As with many areas in New Mexico, it is rich in Native history. Jornada Mogollon people, the area's original inhabitants, left thousands of petroglyphs along a mile-long ridge. Later, the Mescalero Apache called the region home.

Charles Berninghaus moved to Taos in 1927, but he'd spent plenty of time there during his childhood and was already quite familiar with the region. He went on to enjoy a long and fruitful career painting New Mexico landscapes in his impressionist style. With "Near Tres Ritos," he offered a depiction of a cluster of buildings perched atop a small plateau. Behind it, a thriving forest provides wonderful green tones. Further into the background, mountaintops rise into a clear blue sky. In the foreground, a dirt road winds around and up to the plateau, and a hazy cloud of light green tones suggests a season of plentiful moisture.

Artist signature of Charles Berninghaus, Western PainterThe painting is signed Charles Berninghaus in lower left. It is framed in a carved wood frame.

Charles Berninghaus (1905-1988) was an impressionist landscape painter. Berninghaus discovered art quite naturally because his father, Oscar E. Berninghaus, had already made a name for himself in the art world by the time Charles was born. Oscar first arrived in Taos in 1899 and was one of the six founders of the Taos Society of Artists, that famous and influential group that even today is known for the outstanding work its members produced. Charles attended St. Louis schools through high school, graduating in 1924, followed by art training at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Art Students League in New York. After spending some time in New York, Berninghaus moved to New Mexico permanently, where he continued developing the style for which he would become well known.


Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Charles Berninghaus Original Painting titled "Near Tres Ritos" is from a private New Mexico collection, purchased from Nedra Matteucci Galleries in 2005

Recommended Reading: Samuels' Encyclopedia of Artists of the American West by Peggy and Harold Samuels

TAGS: impressionistOscar E. BerninghausTaosNew MexicopaintingsNicolai FechinRobert DaughtersDime storeCharles Berninghaus

Alternate close-up view of a section of this painting.

Charles Berninghaus, Western Painter
  • Category: Paintings
  • Origin: Western Artists
  • Medium: oil on board
  • Size:
    11-⅝” x 15-½” image;
    20-⅜” x 24-⅜” framed
  • Item # C4700A
  • Price: $4500

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