Oscar E. Berninghaus
Encyclopedia
Oscar Edmund Berninghaus (2 October 1874 – 27 April 1952) was an American artist and a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists
. He best known for his paintings of Native Americans
, New Mexico
and the American Southwest
. His son, Charles Berninghaus (1905–1988), was also a Taos artist.
. His father ran a lithography
business, which stimulated an interest in watercolor painting
in Oscar, who began by sketching the St. Louis riverfront. Later he worked from tales he heard from trappers and cowboys passing through, and developed a fascination with the American Old West
.
As an artist, Berninghaus was largely self-taught. By 1886, he was an accomplished watercolorist. He developed an interest in business and sold his works to tourists and newspapers. At sixteen, he had quit school and taken a job with Compton & Sons, a local lithography company, where he learned the technical details of engraving
, color separation and printmaking
. In 1893, he left Compton & Sons and joined Woodward and Tiernan, one of the largest printing concerns in the world at the time.
Berninghaus attended night classes at Washington University in St. Louis
and sketched and painted in his spare time.
and New Mexico
landscapes. He spent a week in Taos, New Mexico
, where he met and befriended Bert Phillips, who had established himself there the previous year.
Berninghaus was captivated by the local Indian culture and the landscape and light of the area, and returned to Taos nearly every subsequent summer. These visits grew longer, soon turning into six-month retreats. In 1915, he became a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists
, along with his friend Bert Phillips and four other artists. He was the first (temporary) chairman of the Society. He also spent more time as secretary of the Society than any other member.
He continued to reside in St. Louis until 1925, when he finally made the move to Taos. After the Society disbanded in 1927, he became active in the Taos art colony
.
, the Salmagundi Club
, and the Society of Western Artists
. He was one of the more successful members of the Taos Society of Artists
, which enhanced the Society's prestige.
(Fort Worth, Texas
); Museum of New Mexico
(Santa Fe, New Mexico
); St. Louis Art Museum; murals in the Missouri State Capitol
(Jefferson City, Missouri
); Gilcrease Museum
(Tulsa, Oklahoma
); Stark Museum of Art
(Orange, Texas
); Nelson-Atkins Museum; Wichita Art Museum
; and others.
Paintings
Taos Society of Artists
The Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915; it disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into...
. He best known for his paintings of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and the American Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
. His son, Charles Berninghaus (1905–1988), was also a Taos artist.
Early life and education
Oscar Berninghaus was born on October 2, 1874 in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. His father ran a lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
business, which stimulated an interest in watercolor painting
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
in Oscar, who began by sketching the St. Louis riverfront. Later he worked from tales he heard from trappers and cowboys passing through, and developed a fascination with the American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
.
As an artist, Berninghaus was largely self-taught. By 1886, he was an accomplished watercolorist. He developed an interest in business and sold his works to tourists and newspapers. At sixteen, he had quit school and taken a job with Compton & Sons, a local lithography company, where he learned the technical details of engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
, color separation and printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
. In 1893, he left Compton & Sons and joined Woodward and Tiernan, one of the largest printing concerns in the world at the time.
Berninghaus attended night classes at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
and sketched and painted in his spare time.
Artistic career
Berninghaus developed a reputation as an artist and in 1899, he was given a commission by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad to produce promotional sketches of the ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
landscapes. He spent a week in Taos, New Mexico
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
, where he met and befriended Bert Phillips, who had established himself there the previous year.
Berninghaus was captivated by the local Indian culture and the landscape and light of the area, and returned to Taos nearly every subsequent summer. These visits grew longer, soon turning into six-month retreats. In 1915, he became a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists
Taos Society of Artists
The Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915; it disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into...
, along with his friend Bert Phillips and four other artists. He was the first (temporary) chairman of the Society. He also spent more time as secretary of the Society than any other member.
He continued to reside in St. Louis until 1925, when he finally made the move to Taos. After the Society disbanded in 1927, he became active in the Taos art colony
Taos art colony
The Taos art colony is an art colony founded in Taos, New Mexico by artists attracted by the rich culture of the Taos Pueblo and beautiful landscape. Hispanic craftsmanship of furniture, tin work and more played a role in creating a multicultural tradition of art work in the area.In 1898 a visit...
.
Other associations
Berninghaus was also a member of other eastern and western arts organizations, including the National Academy of DesignNational Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
, the Salmagundi Club
Salmagundi Club
The Salmagundi Club, also known as the Salmagundi Art Club, was founded in 1871 in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, in the United States. It currently is located at 47 Fifth Avenue...
, and the Society of Western Artists
Society of Western Artists
The Society of Western Artists refers to two distinct and wholly unrelated organizations in the history of American art:*Society of Western Artists *Society of Western Artists...
. He was one of the more successful members of the Taos Society of Artists
Taos Society of Artists
The Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915; it disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into...
, which enhanced the Society's prestige.
Collections
His paintings may be found in the collections of Amon Carter MuseumAmon Carter Museum
The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is located in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established by Amon G. Carter to house his collection of paintings and sculpture by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Carter’s will provided a museum in Fort Worth devoted to American art.When the museum opened...
(Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
); Museum of New Mexico
Museum of New Mexico
The Museum of New Mexico consists of six separate institutions in Santa Fe, New Mexico, including :* New Mexico Museum of Art* Palace of the Governors* Museum of Indian Arts & Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology* Museum of International Folk Art...
(Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
); St. Louis Art Museum; murals in the Missouri State Capitol
Missouri State Capitol
The Missouri State Capitol is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Housing the Missouri General Assembly, it is located in the state capital of Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue. The domed building was designed by the New York architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout and completed in 1917...
(Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...
); Gilcrease Museum
Gilcrease Museum
Gilcrease Museum is a museum located northwest of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. The museum now houses the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art of the American West as well as a growing collection of art and artifacts from Central and South America...
(Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
); Stark Museum of Art
Stark Museum of Art
The Stark Museum of Art, in Orange, Texas, houses one of the nation’s most significant collections of American Western art. The Western Art collection conveys the artistic interpretation of the western region over two centuries....
(Orange, Texas
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
); Nelson-Atkins Museum; Wichita Art Museum
Wichita Art Museum
The Wichita Art Museum is an art museum located in Wichita, Kansas. It was established in 1915, when Louise Murdock’s Will created a trust to start a collection of art works by “American painters, potters, sculptors, and textile weavers.” The collection includes works by Mary Cassatt, Arthur G...
; and others.
Further reading
- Sanders, Gordon E. Oscar E. Berninghaus, Taos, New Mexico: Master Painter of American Indians and the Frontier West. Taos Heritage Publishing Company, 1985. ISBN 0-9615-1771-9
External links
Paintings
- Adobe House (1940)
- The Forty-niners (before 1942)
- Taos Indian Couple
- Taos Indians on Mesa
- Las Truchas Peaks, NM (ca. 1949)