A striking Mid-Century Modern portrait painting depicting a contemplative man with a neatly cropped mustache, rendered in expressive strokes of blue and ochre. This vintage figurative painting was sourced from the estate of Jonathan Park in Santa Fe, a collector known for his discerning eye for modernist and Southwestern fine art. (He was also known to purchase portraits that looked like someone he knew.)
Executed in a confident, painterly hand, the piece carries echoes of American Modernism and the Taos and Santa Fe art movements, evoking the introspective style of artists such as Peter Hurd, Raymond Jonson, and Howard Cook. The artist’s deliberate use of bold contour and muted tones captures both the personality of the sitter and the subtle drama of postwar expression.
The portrait’s composition, especially the upward gaze and strong use of shadow, suggests influence from European Expressionism, merged with the grounded tonality often found in Southwestern modernist portraiture.
Provenance:
From the Estate of Jonathan Park, Santa Fe, a noted collector whose private holdings included numerous mid-century and regionalist artworks. Works from Park’s estate have been featured in prominent New Mexico design collections and regional exhibitions focusing on 20th-century Southwestern art.
Styling Ideas
- Perfect in a modern desert home, artist’s studio, or library wall alongside vintage pottery and brass accents.
- Pair it with textural neutrals, Navajo rugs, or natural oak furniture for an “old Santa Fe meets mid-century atelier” look.
- Style above a console or layered in a gallery wall with other abstract or figurative works for a chic, curated aesthetic.
- Ideal for collectors of mid-century portraiture, Santa Fe School art, or those curating a refined, bohemian interior.
Dimensions:
7.75" Wide
11" Tall
Condition Report: Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Man Smoking — Estate of Jonathan Park, Santa Fe.
