In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein

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The definitive retrospective on this prominent twentieth-century American artist

One of the founders of the Taos Society of Artists, Ernest L. Blumenschein was perhaps the most complex and accomplished of all the painters associated with that pioneering organization. His critical acclaim transcended regional confines, and his work continues to be greatly admired.

This volume is the definitive work on Blumenschein’s life and art, reproducing masterworks from a new exhibit along with additional works and historical photographs to form the most comprehensive assemblage of his paintings ever published. In Contemporary Rhythm describes not only his place in the Taos colony and western art but also his far-reaching influence on mainstream American art and national aesthetic developments.

The text by Peter H. Hassrick and Elizabeth J. Cunningham draws on Blumenschein’s papers as well as other archival sources to explore in depth the dimensions of his multifaceted life and his place in American history and culture. They examine his 64-year artistic career, first as an illustrator and then a painter, revealing how his technique evolved and how his schooling and the artistic movements of his time informed his work. Additional contributions by noted art historians focus on particular paintings and certain aspects of the artist’s work, including his promotion of American Indian rights.

As the only book of its kind available on this influential artist, In Contemporary Rhythm is a major contribution to American art history. It is also a visual feast.