Victor Higgins (American, 1884-1949) Mountain Forms III. Oil on canvas, 1924-27. Signed lower right 'Victor Higgins'. Literature: Dean A. Porter, 'Victor Higgins: An American Master' by Peregrine Smith Books, 1991, p. 125, and illustrated on page 263, no. 18b. Note: On page 125 of his book, Dean Porter cites five paintings in the Mountain Forms series, all dating to 1924-27. Of the five, three are known only from old black and white photographs, including the present example. 'Mountain Forms III' was known from a photograph in the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of New Mexico (JHR Archives), Santa Fe, and listed as 'dimensions and present location unknown'. Porter notes that the two previously known paintings are both in private collections. To our knowledge, this is the only one of the three untraced paintings of this series to have recently surfaced. The painting is in it's original frame and has been behind glass in the same private collection for decades. Victor Higgins moved to Taos, New Mexico in 1913 and joined the Taos Society of Artists in 1917, one of the qualifications for membership being that a new member had to have worked in Taos for three consecutive years. He joined original members Joseph Henry Sharp, E. Irving Couse, Oscar E. Berninhaus, W. Herbert Dunton, Ernest Blumenschein, and Bert Phillips, and became one of the most important painters working in Taos in the early years. Others who joined later were Julius Rolshoven, E. Martin Hennings, and Walter Ufer. The society disbanded in 1927, but the artists continued to work in Taos. This particular example shows Higgins' bold brushwork following the contours of the forms and is typical of his best works Canvas: 24" x 27"

This painting is in overall excellent condition and very clean having been framed behind glass in the original frame. There is no retouching or damage anywhere, not relined, and with original stretcher


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