OSCAR EDMUND BERNINGHAUS (American 1874-1952). Winter Evening (Taos), c. 1918. Oil on canvas. 25in. x 30in.. Signed lowe...

Description

OSCAR EDMUND BERNINGHAUS (American 1874-1952)
Winter Evening (Taos), c. 1918
Oil on canvas
25in. x 30in.
Signed lower right : O.E. BERNINGHAUS

This quiet painting of the horses huddled together outside the warm tavern on a cold snowy night shows Berninghaus' mastery of the western nocturne, a genre first brought to prominence by Frederic Remington and continued by Berninghaus' contemporary Frank Tenney Johnson. While Remington utilized a greenish palatte and Johnson cast his scenes in blue tones, Berninghaus may have created the perfect nighttime painting with contrasting warm and cool grays that lend to the sense of cold reality that the cowboys endured. This large-scale painting is a rare, fine example in the artist's oeuvre of the nocturne genre, in addition to being a superb example of Berninghaus' talent for rendering horses in the rural settings of New Mexico.

This painting by one of the founders of the Taos Art Society occupies an important place in the artist's oeuvre. The painting comes directly from the Berninghaus family of Taos. There is a letter of authentication signed by the artist's granddaughter, Barbara Brenner, that accompanies the lot. The present work is being offered for public sale for the first time.

Provenance: Berninghaus Family, Taos, NM; Fenn Galleries, Santa Fe, NM

Exhibited: Parsons Fine Art, Taos, NM (referred to as Moonlight Taos)



More information about Berninghaus, Oscar Edward. See also: Beringhaus, Oscar Edmund, Oscar Edward Berninghaus Artist.



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