Painting “Winter Moonlight at Acoma N.M.” by Carl Von Hassler [SOLD]

This exceptional oil painting by Carl Von Hassler is titled “Winter Moonlight at Acoma N.M.”  Von Hassler’s pueblo scenes are always wonderful, and this one is particularly unique and appealing.  It’s a gorgeously serene moonlit scene, set at Acoma Pueblo after what appears to have been a heavy snowstorm.  Viewers who have spent time in the Southwest will recognize this as a snapshot of a brief but magical period of time, when an intense storm has come and gone quickly, leaving a thick blanket of snow under a completely clear sky. 

Von Hassler’s work here is outstanding.  The snow-covered ground is rich in texture, thanks to the careful additions of various shades of blue and purple.  The night sky is similarly deep. Dark blues and purples blend together, and small spots of white signify stars.  The two elements of earth and sky—made of the same materials with different dominant tones—complement each other wonderfully.  “Winter Moonlight at Acoma N.M.” is moody, atmospheric, and absolutely beautiful.

The painting is signed Von Hassler in lower right.  It is framed in a carved frame that is painted silver.  On the back, the following text is handwritten: “Winter Moonlight at Acoma N.M. by Von Hassler.  Property of Mrs. Beatrice Von Hassler. Price: $100.00.  Sold to Mr. (indecipherable).”  A label on the back of the frame reads “by Haverstick’s, Albuquerque, New Mexico.”

We have been unable to determine who Mrs. Beatrice Von Hassler was.  As far as we know, Carl Von Hassler was married only briefly to an Indian but she died early.  He had no children.  When Von Hassler left Germany, he was disowned by his German relatives, so it is not likely that Beatrice was a German relative.  The notation on this painting is the only time we have seen her name associated with Von Hassler.

Carl Von Hassler was born March 18, 1887 to a Dutch father and a French mother on a train in Germany. Von Hassler moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in the early 1920s. He was known as the “Dean of the Albuquerque Art Colony.”  Born in Bremen, Germany, Von Hassler attended the Dusseldorf Art Academy. When he came to the United States, he lived for a while in Greenwich Village in New York and was a member of the famed group of painters who called themselves the “Greenwich Ash Can Group.”  In his early years in Albuquerque, Von Hassler's studio was in the original Casa de Armijo (now La Placita Restaurant) in Old Town. He was best known for his traditional realistic landscapes of New Mexico and his Indian portraits. 

Carl Von Hassler (1887-1969) spent almost half of his 47 years here developing a new painting technique that caused a stir in art circles. "I invented it myself," the artist said. "It is known to no one else."  His paintings had an almost ceramic quality with colors that do not fade. He baked the paintings at up to 600 degrees. He also developed what he described as an "atomic substance," which he painted on to withstand the heat. It made his paintings fire and heat resistant.  His works are now collector's items, and many prominent Albuquerqueans own his paintings.  He taught privately as well. Among his better-known former pupils are Sam Smith, Ben Turner, Walter Bambrook, Novella King, and Betty Sabo.  Von Hassler died in Albuquerque on November 30, 1969, at the age of 83.

Condition: excellent condition, recently cleaned by a professional art conservation artist

Provenance: this Painting "Winter Moonlight at Acoma N.M." by Carl Von Hassler is fromprivate collection

Recommended Reading: Paintings of the Southwest by Arnold Skolnick

Relative Links: Carl Von Hassler, Painting