Untitled Mountain Landscape [SOLD]

Walter Bambrook (1910-1985) was a painter who lived and worked in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He attended Albuquerque High School and began his art education at the University of New Mexico (UNM) under the instruction of Ralph Douglas. While at UNM, Bambrook served as a printer's apprentice for the Albuquerque Journal newspaper and began his four year art training under Carl Von Hassler. After his formal art education was completed, Bambrook taught many private classes and groups at UNM, the Woman's Club and Heights Community Club. 

Bambrook received his first award at the age of thirteen from a national art show at the Chicago Art Institute. During his lifetime, he received many awards from other prestigious institutions, among them the L.O.M. Sweat Memorial Museum in Portland, Maine; the Colorado Springs Museum of Fine Arts; the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.; the Santa Fe State Museum; the UNM Galleries, and the New Mexico State Fair. His paintings are also found in private collections in England, Italy, Australia, the United States and Indonesia. Bambrook continued to contribute to the New Mexico art community as the Director of New Mexico State Fair Exhibits, as a member of the New Mexico Artists' Equity, the Professional Albuquerque Artists' Guild, the Taos Art Association and the New Mexico Art League.  Bambrook died on June 1, 1984 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Like his teachers and his peers, Bambrook’s affinity for the natural beauty of the Southwest inspired his artistic creations.  This attractive untitled oil painting is notably different from the half-dozen Bambrook paintings we’ve handled. It may be a Southwestern scene, but could also be a depiction of many different mountainous regions.  Bambrook’s subject here is picturesque. It’s a tranquil scene—a bridge over a small stream, a large group of trees, a ranch, rolling hills and mountains—depicted in a pleasant, dreamlike fashion. Many of his New Mexico landscapes are full of bright yellows, soft reds and oranges, and other warm colors.  Here, the artist works with cool colors, and he does so beautifully. Greens, blues and purples dominate this attractive image. Bambrook’s vibrant trees are a highlight. Their basic forms are made of a dark green, over which Bambrook adds increasingly light tones to accurately represent the effects of the sun’s light.  The buildings are simple, perfectly lit, casting soft shadows in the direction of the bridge and trees. The mountains—made of dark blue, purple, and green, with touches of white—are deep and richly textured. Bambrook’s work with this cool-colored landscape is immensely appealing.

The Untitled Mountain Landscape is signed “Bambrook” in its lower left corner.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: private collection