Untitled Southwestern Autumn Landscape by Carl Von Hassler

Landscapes around New Mexico were the specialty and preferred subject matter of German artist Carl Von Hassler, and it's easy to see why.  An extraordinarily beautiful painting, this is a piece that truly embodies the spirit of autumn in Northern New Mexico.

An impressive size, this painting offers a lot to take in. The hues of autumn are immediately apparent, with the striking yellow aspen leaves set up against the backdrop of mountains that have just begun to be snowcapped for the winter. Underneath the aspens are other smaller trees with orange leaves, surrounded by straw yellow colored grass and a few large boulders. Above the mountains, a gorgeous, light blue, big southwestern sky with a few clouds can be seen.

The painting is framed in an ornate gold frame, which is somewhat atypical for a piece of this style. Still, it somehow is compatible with the grandeur of the scene. The piece is signed by Von Hassler in the lower right.

Carl Von Hassler (1887-1969) 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.

Von Hassler 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 did 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. Those who knew him had doubts about his statements. His works are now collector's items, and many prominent Albuquerqueans own his paintings. He taught privately, and, 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: very good condition

Provenance: this Untitled Southwestern Autumn Landscape by Carl Von Hassler is from the inheritance of a resident of Albuquerque

Recommended Reading: Paintings of the Southwest by Arnold Skolnick

TAGS: Western Paintings, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sam Smith, Ben Turner, Walter Bambrook, Novella King, Betty Sabo, Carl Von Hassler