Nicolai Fechin

Known for his bold, brilliantly colored canvases, Nicolai Fechin was an artist determined to represent his surroundings with a mix of technique and vigor. After immigrating from Russia to New York in 1923, Fechin found his new city to be dizzying and relentless. As a result, Fechin and his family decided to move to Taos in 1926, where the dry climate and slower pace would aid in his creative expression. The village of Taos captured his attention with its expansive Western sky, unchartered terrain and isolated population. Fechin created a number of portraits of the indigenous community in Taos, including the present work. Each of these portraits are intense studies of character, retaining an exacting yet exciting quality.

The paintings created in Taos are considered some of his best works due to the level of technique, interesting subject matter, and high-key color palette. His former training at the Imperial Academy laid the groundwork for Fechin's underlying structure in all works. The precise almost architectural quality of building depth and the draughtsmanship behind each painting can be seen in the present work.

Fechin once wrote in his Notes on Art, "a high degree of expertness in technique always has had and always will have a predominant place in art . . .With the passing of time, the subject loses much of its meaning, but the fine execution of it retains its value," (as quoted in Mary N. Balcomb, Nicolai Fechin, Flagstaff, Arizona, 1975, p. 88).