Ernest Martin Hennings (American, 1886-1956) Taos Pueblo Indian

Description:

Ernest Martin Hennings (American, 1886-1956)

Taos Pueblo Indian
Signed "E. M. Hennings" l.r.
Oil on canvasboard, 14 x 12 in. (35.6 x 30.5 cm),framed.
Condition: Minor retouch/varnish inconsistencies, surface grime.

N.B. Ernest Martin Hennings first traveled to Taos in 1917, where he worked for the remainder of his career, producing paintings inspired by the landscape and people of New Mexico, specifically the Pueblo Indians. By 1921, he settled in Taos permanently and in 1924, he was granted membership to the Taos Society of Artists, a group founded in 1915 by artists who were inspired by the visual and cultural elements of New Mexico and sought to preserve and celebrate the American Indian.

Hennings's artistic style evolved while in Taos. He abandoned the dark compositions and thick brushwork that he developed after studying at the Art Institute of Chicago, and with Franz Von Struck at the Royal Academy in Munich. In his work from Taos, he used thin applications of paint to create contoured forms and richly patterned compositions with little impasto. His palette brightened, reflecting the warm sunlight of the area, and included the reds, yellows, and greens that are evocative of the southwest landscape.
Estimate $75,000-125,000

The work would benefit from cleaning. The varnish is thicker in some areas, and this creates an unusual fluorescence. It is possible that some of this might be retouch. There is a very subtle curve to the support.

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