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Taos Front Door
Taos Front Door
Taos Front Door

Taos Front Door

Artist (Scottish, 1874 - 1955)
Mediumtempera on board, possibly also some oil
Dimensions30 1/4 x 21 1/8 inches (76.8 x 53.7 cm)
Frame: 34 x 25 inches (86.4 x 63.5 cm)
Credit LineBequest of the Estate of Eunice R. Benckenstein, 2009
Object number2009.1.5
ClassificationsPaintings
DescriptionVertical painting of an open door viewed from an interior space. The door is painted a light color and has pointed bosses decorating it. Sheer curtains hang in the doorway. The door trim on the interior is painted red. Behind the door is a doorway into another interior room that has a stained glass window along the same wall as the door.
Label TextIn this painting of a Taos, New Mexico home, the solid, impressive door is opened wide to allow the viewer a glimpse of the interior. The house has the features of the traditional style of an adobe house with its distinctive ceiling. The vigas are the round beams. They provide a support for the lattilas (the laths or cross planks). This regional style contrasts with the ornate, coral-colored door frame. The gauze-like door covering adds another element, allowing the light and air of the outdoors into the interior. The traditional interior has its own individuality.
ProvenanceEunice R. Benckenstein [1908-2008] by 1987; Estate of Eunice R. Benckenstein (Executor of Estate, Ruth Anita Cowan); bequeathed March 5, 2009 to the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation; accessioned to the Stark Museum of Art
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