Over a century ago, a group of painters dreamed of establishing an artists' colony in the village of Taos, New Mexico, and succeeded beyond their wildest imaginings. Founded in 1915 and disbanded in 1927, the Taos Society of Artists promoted painting that embraced the landscape of the Southwest and the local Pueblo and Hispanic people. This gorgeous two-volume set is the culmination of decades of scholarship by leading authorities in the field. Lavishly illustrated with more than 600 full-color illustrations, it is a fitting tribute to the groundbreaking artists of the society and their remarkable legacy. Volume 1 depicts the origins of the society and its objectives, cultural context, and expanding importance in American art history. The essays that follow focus on the contributions of the society's founding members: Joseph H. Sharp, E. Irving Couse, Bert G. Phillips, Ernest L. Blumenschein, Oscar E. Berninghaus, and W. Herbert Dunton. Volume 2 explores the achievements of six other prominent artists who joined the society, as well as its associate and honorary members. The volume concludes with a detailed chronology of relevant events from 1850 to 1966.
Peter H. Hassrick (1941-2019) was Director Emeritus and Senior Scholar at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of many publications, including Frederic Remington: A Catalogue RaisonnE II, Painted Journeys: The Art of John Mix Stanley, and In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein. Melissa Webster Speidel is an independent art historian and research associate on the Carl Rungius catalogue raisonnE project. Charles C. Eldredge is the Hall Distinguished Professor of American Art and Culture at the University of Kansas. Previously he served as director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American Art and as director of the Spencer Museum of Art.
"The Taos Society of Artists chronicles the story of a group of highly trained artists who momentarily focused America's attention on the Southwest and the little-known but distinctive inhabitants and spectacular landscape of Taos, New Mexico, creating a short-lived but still remembered art colony and adding a spirited and unique chapter to American art."-Ron Tyler, editor of Western Art, Western History: Collected Essays "Taos Society of Artists shines a light on an important chapter in New Mexico and United States art history. With essays describing the history, aesthetic goals, and cultural impact of the Taos Society of Artists, thoroughly researched biographies of the key artists, and an exhaustive catalog of artworks, this book will be a resource for years to come."-Bill Anthes, author of Native Moderns: American Indian Paintings, 1940-1960
