As we turn the page to a new season at Western Art & Architecture, I find myself reflecting on both change and continuity — two forces that shape not only our magazine but also the creative world we celebrate. This issue marks the end of...
Joseph Henry Sharp [1859 – 1953] was one of the most accomplished artists of the 1900s. As a painter, he was an adventurer and storyteller who helped shape the image of the American West. Often referred to as “the father of the Taos Art Colony,” he...
We bid farewell to one of our greats. Ed Mell is to contemporary Western art what C.M. Russell and Frederic Remington are to its origins. The archetype. The definition. He had his own unique voice. That often overused expression speaks of an artist with vision — and...
Gustave Baumann [1881 – 1971] was the consummate artist. A skilled craftsman, his meticulous woodblock prints have delighted collectors for more than 100 years. The Indianapolis Star first quoted Baumann’s explanation of his process on February 21, 1913: “Draw directly on the block whatever you want....
The members of the Taos Society of Artists built their reputations in oil paint. But, as well-rounded professionals, most with traditional academic training, they were also fluent in a variety of media. About half of the artists in the group explored printmaking, with E. Martin...
Etchings are a significant part of the art world. Too often, however, they stand in the shadow of paintings and sculptures. We can fix that. I saw my first George Elbert Burr etching probably 25 years ago. I was immediately taken by its quiet fineness. He...
Carl Clemens Moritz Rungius [1869 – 1959] is widely regarded as the premier painter of American wildlife. This painting and many of his best are now part of an impressive exhibition at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming. Rungius’ first visit to Wyoming...
William Henry Dethlef (W.H.D.) Koerner [1878–1938] was one of the great illustrators and artists of the 1910s and 1920s. Today, we would call him an “influencer” (as great artists often are!). He helped shape Americans’ perception of the West by creating some 250 illustrations of...
To the contemporary art lover and collector in the realm of Western American art, Alfred Jacob Miller is often lesser known but is nonetheless a major artist and explorer. When it comes to artists traveling the great American West, few equal Miller’s breathtaking adventures when...
Here in my publisher’s note, I always write about a painting and its creator. And almost always, that painting is a dramatic landscape. It’s time to mix it up. Chances are when you come across Clark Hulings’ name, you think of his sweeping scenes portraying poignant...