Few who appreciate the visual arts or the American Southwest can behold the masterpieces "Sangre de Cristo Mountains "or "Haystack, Taos Valley, 1927 "or "Bend in the River, 1941 "and come away without a vivid image burned into memory. The creator of these and many other depictions of the Southwest and its people was Ernest L. Blumenschein, cofounder of the famous Taos art colony. This insightful, comprehensive biography examines the character and life experiences that made Blumenschein one of the foremost artists of the twentieth century.

Robert W. Larson and Carole B. Larson begin...