Nicolai Fechin: His Time in Taos

My first notice of the name, Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955) was that he was a painter who had lived in Taos, New Mexico. What? How was that possible that I'd never heard of him? After all, I've written so many blogs about artists living in that inspiring artistic area. Naturally, I looked him up on Google.

To my surprise, the first three pages (perhaps more because I stopped at 3) were all about Mr. Fechin. As a matter of fact, in 2011 Sotheby's in New York announced the auction of one of his pieces expected to sell anywhere from $3 million to $5 million! Very impressive, I'd say.

First, a little background on him and then a sampling of his works. Fechin was born in Kazan, Russia. After he finished his art training, he returned to his hometown where he painted and taught painting. He became known in America when he exhibited in Pennsylvania in 1910. Thirteen years later, he and his family immigrated to the United States.

Disaster struck for Fechin when it was discovered that he had tuberculosis. His best hope for recovery was to move to a dry climate. Hence, his move to Taos, New Mexico. There, he discovered a passion for Western subjects such as the landscape and the Native Americans - both considered to be some of his finest works.

Fechin left a large footprint in Taos. The house he lived in is on The National Registry of Historic Places and is now the location for the Taos Art Museum. If you've ever been there, did you know you were stepping inside Fechin's home?

Below are some of his interesting paintings and sketches. Did you know of him? What do you think of his style? his works? As for me, guess I'm going to need to do more research on Taos artists.


Portrait Sketches:

Paintings of Taos:

Native American Portraits:

Wizardry in Taos

If you peek behind the curtain of historically famous art and art movements, you'll discover a wizard. In most cases the wizard doesn't have any tangible art talent. What wizards do have is the ability to recognize and nurture the talents of others. Think Wizard of Oz. Think de Medicis. Think M.Durand-Ruel. (See Archives - Oct.,2010) Think Mabel Dodge Luhan. (1879-1962)

Born into a wealthy New York family, Luhan (nee Ganson) became prominent for her salons in New York and Europe. Wherever she was, she gathered together the artists, writers, politicians, eccentrics and radicals of all types. Her list of guests were the names that appeared on the pages of art and society during the early 1900s. However for such a Victorian woman, Luhan had a decidedly free-spirit streak. Luhan wanted to leave the strictures of the East. Her need for self expression led her to Santa Barbara and then to Taos, New Mexico.

None of her friends understood how such a well-bred sophisticated woman wanted to live in a remote dusty place such as Taos. Luhan loved the area and wrote about the sense of space and spirituality. In Taos, she met and married Tony Luhan, a Taos Pueblo man. Together, they expanded a small adobe house into a large compound.

Ms. Luhan invited her Eastern friends to come for a visit. Once again, she gathered together the avant-garde artists and thinkers of post-war America. It was under her influence that Georgia O' Keeffe decided to settle near Taos.

Many other artists accepted her invitation. Willa Cather, D. H. Lawrence, Ansel Adams, Thomas Wolfe, Carl Jung, Edna Ferber, Leopold Stowkowski and Greta Garbo represented only a small portion of the guests who stayed and felt the influence of Taos- thanks to Luhan.

Although Luhan died in 1962, her home - registered as a historic landmark - remains a retreat for creativity. If the experiences of a workshop, a need for artistic solitude or a desire to free the mind from clutter appeals to you, Luhan's wizardry is waiting.