Painting of the Day, November 2, 2011

By Donna Poulton

"This strong primitive appeal calls out the side of art that is not derivative; it urges the painter to get his subjects, his coloring, his tone from the real life about him, not from the wisdom of the studios." - Victor Higgins

Credit: Image courtesy of private collector

William Victor Higgins (1884-1949), Pink and Black, 1930s, oil on canvas, 40 x 40 in. Private Collection

Victor Higgins first learned of Taos while studying art in Chicago and Munich. In 1913 he moved to Taos and joined the Society of Taos Artists in 1917. Influenced by the modernists of the time, his work evolved toward reduced and flattened forms, while taking advantage of the pure color inherent in the design of native people and of the landscape.