Lot 151, Auction 4/12/2026: William P. Henderson Painting -“Velarde Station”

$3,575.00

In stock

Attributed to William Penhallow Henderson (American, 1877-1943). “Velarde Station” oil on board, n.d. Artist and title delineated on old label on verso of frame. This gem of a painting depicts Velarde Station, a railroad stop in Velarde, New Mexico, a charming village in the Rio Grande Valley located between Taos and Espanola. The scene features modest adobe buildings with pitched roofs and cupolas, characteristic of railroad depots rendered in Pueblo style, and three figures, indicating that the station was a hub for social and economic activity in an otherwise rural area. Majestic cliffs in the background suggest the Basalt cliffs and mesas in the vicinity of Velarde and the Rio Grande. All is rendered in the artist’s Post-Impressionist style with a vibrant color palette, expressive brushwork, and keen light effects. A nostalgic view of life along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, a nexus of the American economy from the late 19th to early 20th century. Size: 10″ L x 8″ W (25.4 cm x 20.3 cm) Size (frame): 14.25″ L x 12.25″ W (36.2 cm x 31.1 cm)

About the Artist: “Henderson grew up in Medford, Massachusetts, on a cattle ranch in Texas, and in a small Kansas town. Studies at the Massachusetts Normal Art School and Boston Museum of Fine Arts prefaced European travel and further art training abroad.

In 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 illustrator, 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.” (Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum website)

William Penhallow Henderson’s “Casa Lucero” – an oil on board painting of similar size to “Velarde Station” – sold with a hammer price of $16,000 on November 10, 2018 (Santa Fe Art Auction, Santa Fe, NM, Lot #91). In addition, “Los Gallos (Mable Dodge Luhan House)” – a smaller oil on board by William P. Henderson – sold at auction with a hammer price of $6500 on May 2, 2021 (Grogan & Company, Boston, MA, Lot #34).

Condition: The artist “William P. Henderson” and title “Velarde Station” are delineated on an old label on the verso of the frame. Small surface loss at upper right (base of basalt cliffs) and some expected age wear. Otherwise vivid imagery and vibrant hues. Mounted in an attractive custom frame. A few chips to peripheries of framing. Fit with suspension wire.

Provenance: private Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA collection

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