Oscar E. Berninghaus
1874-1952 | American

Bullfighting

Signed “O-E-BERNINGHAUS” (lower right)
Oil on canvas

"The canvases that come from Taos are as definitely American as anything can be. We have had French, Dutch, Italian, German art. Now we must have American art." — Oscar E. Berninghaus, as quoted in Pioneer Artists of Taos

This impressive oil on canvas by the revered painter Oscar E. Berninghaus, entitled Bullfighting, captures the magnificent and complex American Southwest. Astonishing in size, technique and color, this painting is a masterful representation of the Hispanic culture that inspired Berninghaus’ beloved New Mexico. Permeated with palpable sensitivity and compelling preservation of his subjects’ traditions and culture, Bullfighting depicts a traditional Spanish bullfight in full swing. Two decoratively clad matadors surround a raging bull on the ground as a matador on horseback makes his strike. Six other matadors look on from inside the vibrant, fully-packed arena. The arena’s architecture is suggestive of distinctive Spanish design, a nod to the European settlers who infused Taos with their traditions and culture.

Berninghaus began his career as a lithograph illustrator, later studying the masters of Impressionism, Realism, Representationism and Naturalism at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts. By the young age of 25, Berninghaus had his first solo exhibition and taught at his alma mater. In 1899, the artist began his first Western adventure by sitting on a chair fixed on the roof of a train and sketching the mountainous landscape as it passed by. Overcome by the beauty of Taos, New Mexico, Berninghaus vowed to return.

After traveling between Taos and St. Louis for decades, Berninghaus ultimately moved in 1925 to live amongst the electric gathering of Mexican, Native American, European and American people who called Taos home. Fascinated by the adobe architecture, mountains, sage and Pueblo peoples, Berninghaus effectively caught the “Taos germ” and was instrumental in helping the small town become the artistic epicenter of the Southwestern culture. Of the six founders of the Taos Society of Artists, Berninghaus was the only American and quickly became the most critically acclaimed and successful. He demonstrated the greatest passion for establishing positive relationships with the Pueblo people.

Throughout his career, Berninghaus received remarkable acclaim. His prizes include a selected design for the commemorative medal for the 1903 St. Louis World’s Fair, the St. Louis Artists' Guild Brown Prize in 1917 and the 1926 Altman prize given by the National Academy of Design. During his lifetime, the artist exhibited his work consistently at the world's most important institutions and events, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Academy of Design and the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. He is admired far beyond his beloved Taos, and works by the artist may be found in the permanent collections of world-class museums including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and many more.

Circa 1930s