In his autobiography, Gustave Baumann wrote: “The creation of that perfect thing we recognize as Art is given to all too few of us. When it happens, it transcends time and is rightly included or added to the treasures that have stirred the imagination of past centuries.” Today there is little doubt that Baumann achieved that rare distinction. Yet, he was too humble to be able to think of himself in any other way than: “I am fundamentally a craftsman.”
This catalogue is dedicated to the color woodcuts of Gustave Baumann, master craftsman and unparalleled artist. Zaplin Lampert Gallery is privileged to be able to present forty-five of these original prints, exceptional works that comprise one of the largest and most comprehensive private collections of Baumann’s woodcuts ever assembled in Santa Fe.
Representative of the artist’s long and productive career, the collection showcases prime examples dating from his arrival in Santa Fe in 1918 until his death in 1971. As such, they reveal the breadth of his output and the picturesque locales he sought to depict, including scenes from New Mexico, Arizona, California, and even from his early days in Indiana and New York.
When Baumann first visited Taos and Santa Fe in the summer of 1918, he was already a highly regarded printmaker. His work was being exhibited in a traveling circuit, with shows at the museums of Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Chicago. While Baumann was in New Mexico he arranged for his artwork to make a detour to Santa Fe, so that his woodcut prints could be displayed in the city’s recently opened art museum. As fortune would have it, instead of
departing Santa Fe, as he had planned, Baumann decided to stay. He’d come to realize how much this unique region had to offer, especially its potential for artistic inspiration.
Strongly influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, as a young man Baumann honed his skills at the Kunstgewerbeschule , the vocational arts school in Munich, Germany. Once in Santa Fe, with a combination of skill, determination, and keen aesthetic sensibility, Baumann drew upon his limitless imagination to create a world he wanted to share with others. It is a world filled with charm and whimsy, that exults in the beauty of nature and the humble human spirit.
Today, the reach and appeal of Gustave Baumann’s art has only increased. This is due in great part to the release of the artist’s catalogue raisonné, “In a Modern Rendering: The Color Woodcuts of Gustave Baumann,” by Gala Chamberlain. It is the outstanding culmination of a thirty-two-year project.
Zaplin Lampert Gallery has represented Baumann's color woodcut prints for more than thirty-five years. We take pride in our connoisseurship and scholarship regarding this significant artist, and we are pleased to be presenting this fine collection. In our estimation, each original print bears the important characteristics of the artist’s work, noted by vibrant color, insightful composition, and appealing subject matter. From radiant gardens and grand vistas to Pueblo scenes and quiet corners, we invite you to step into the delightful world of Gus Baumann.
Night of the Fiesta – Taos No. 101 of 125 5 7/8 x 7 1/2 inches Signed lower right
©2023 Zaplin | Lampert Gallery
Designer Alex Hanna, Invisible City Designs Writer Stacia Lewandowski Photographer Jamie Hart
651 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 505.982.6100 zaplinlampert.com
