William Penhallow Henderson US, 1877-1943
"If the work of an artist is basically true, it is beautiful to the end...."
- William Penhallow Henderson
Om 1916. after more than a decade teaching and painting in Chicago, Henderson moved to Santa Fe with his wife, the poet and editor Alice Corbin. There his interest in the Indian and Hispanic residents of the Southwest inspired work in several media. Best known are his pastels and oils, less so his murals, handcrafted furniture, stage designs, and innovative architectural projects. As an ilustrator, he was noted for his work on novels and scholarly studies focusing on the Southwest, including his wife's classic, Brothers of Light: The Penitentes of the Southwest.
Henderson's emotive, high-keyed color and decorative spatial treatment suggest Post-Impressionism applied to distinctly southwestern imagery. His work was an inspiration to avant-garde as well as conservative painters in the Southwest.
- Courtesy of the Smithsonian-
William Penhallow HENDERSONCross-Bearers and Flagellants, Letter T and Letter I, circa 1937 -
William Penhallow HENDERSONFrancisco with Wood from the Mountains, circa 1937
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William Penhallow HENDERSONOld Hacienda, New Mexico, circa 1937
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William Penhallow HENDERSONPenitente Procession, Daytime, circa 1937
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William Penhallow HENDERSONThe Crucifixion, Good Friday, circa 1937
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William Penhallow HENDERSONMirror, circa 1925-30
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William Penhallow HENDERSONUntitled (Chimney Rock, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico), circa 1920
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William Penhallow HENDERSONDahlias, circa 1919
