Original Painting titled “Chimayo Pathway” by Robert Daughters [SOLD]

“Chimayo Pathway” is an original oil painting by celebrated Western artist Robert Daughters.  The artist’s subject is a church located in Chimayo, New Mexico.  One might read “Chimayo” and “church” and arrive at the assumption that this is the famous El Santuario de Chimayo.  That would be incorrect, however, as this is actually another church located in the same small town as the aforementioned historic landmark.  We’ve seen Daughters depict the El Santuario de Chimayo in another piece, which leads us to believe that he spent a great deal of time in Chimayo.

Daughters’ off-the-beaten-path church sits, bathed in soft evening light, on a quiet road.  Its tall bell tower points toward a clear sky.  Its front door is partially visible behind a thick wall of colorful brush. The sun sets, far out of frame to the viewer’s right, causing the church and trees to cast long shadows across the road.  Daughters’ color palette relies heavily on blue, orange, and soft purple tones, adding a bit of energy to the image while managing to preserve its inherent serenity.  The setting sun sends a warm wave of yellow onto the church’s walls and into the otherwise white sky, giving the image an inviting glow that will be familiar to anyone who has spent time in the region.  “Chimayo Pathway” is another excellent offering from Robert Daughters.

The painting is signed R. Daughters in lower left.  It is framed in a carved gold frame.

Robert Daughters (1929-2013) was raised in St. Joseph, Missouri. After graduation from high school and three years in the military, he worked as a Curator of Display at the St. Joseph Museum of Natural History while attending the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design.  During a 1953 visit to Taos, New Mexico, Daughters discovered the beauty of the Southwest. He and his family made their move to Santa Fe in 1970, then to Taos in 1972.  Rather than describe himself as an impressionist or expressionist, Daughters says he is a "composist"—his term for an artist who creates paintings with color harmony, the contrast of light and dark values and, above all, structure. His work is created from photographs, charcoal sketches and small plein air oil studies. The emphasis is on structure, an orderly arrangement of shapes, tones and atmospheric effect.  Daughters received many well-deserved awards and accolades during his career. Today, he is regarded as a significant and influential figure in the world of Southwestern art.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Original Painting titled "Chimayo Pathway" by Robert Daughters is from a private collection

Recommended Reading: ROBERT DAUGHTERS - After the Formative Years, Munson Publishing, Santa Fe, 2007

Relative Links: Robert Daughters, painting landscapes, Oscar E. Berninghaus, Julian Robles, Taos Pueblo