NMPBS ¡COLORES!: Painter Peter Hurd
Peter Hurd
The people and places of southeastern New Mexico inspired painter Peter Hurd and it was here that he developed his true artistic style. The deep love he felt for the area celebrated a way of life that would soon change.
“When I see his paintings I’m just really struck by how immersed he is in his surroundings.”
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Peter Hurd
Peter Hurd (February 22, 1904 - July 9, 1984) was an American artist, born Harold Hurd, Jr., in Roswell, New Mexico. Nicknamed Pete by his parents, he later legally changed his name to Peter.
Hurd enrolled at New Mexico Military Institute in 1918 as a high school freshman where he began a lifelong friendship with writer Paul Horgan.
Intending to pursue a military career, in 1921 Hurd entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. After two years, however, he resigned from the Academy to enroll at Haverford College in Pennsylvania.
Hurd soon began studying under the illustrator N.C. Wyeth. He worked as Wyeth's assistant at Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, for a number of years. In 1929, he married Wyeth's daughter, Henriette Wyeth, an artist who later became known for her portraits and still life paintings.
After a decade on the east coast, Peter began to long for his independence and a return to the west. This desire ultimately lead the couple, along with their small children, back to San Patricio, New Mexico where they would spend the rest of their lives. The landscape of New Mexico inspired Peter and it was here that he developed his true artistic style.
He admired the sunlight in the region and the way it played upon the arid landscape. His delight in creating the moment was balanced by his inevitable feeling of despair. He knew the moment would be changing soon. This rush against time not only challenged Peter, but also led to his creation of field sketches.
These were done quickly and with watercolor as seen in El Rillito En La Primavera. The moment is captured upon his page, yet it is inevitable that spring will come and the snow will soon melt away. The lack of people and objects emphasizes the landscapes Peter painted. His field sketches would lead to the large tempera paintings for which he is best known. In The Red Pickup we see Peter capturing the beginning of a storm as the clouds roll in forcing the workers to speed home.
We also see the daylight disappear in The Day It Rained. The clouds have taken over in and the sky has completely changed colors. There is an impending sense that the sky will soon be completely black.
The moment was captured in his painting, but it soon disappeared. These landscapes are the true essence of Peter Hurd. Created in the place he loved and lived for the majority of his life, these paintings are the culmination of Peter's artistic career. However, one must also remember the portraits he created, including that of his friend King Faisal of Saudi Arabia and the controversial portrait of President Lyndon Johnson. The later painting hangs in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Music: Our Scenery
Artist: Gauntlet Hair
Cocula - Peter Hurd Sings Ranchera 1974 Spanish Folk Songs of New Mexico
Taken from the album Peter Hurd Sings Ranchera 1974
Cocula is a small town in the state of Jalisco, not far from Guadalajara. The song is a lilting tune celebrating, the town's charm and incidentally projects high praise for the principle of Machismo.
Peter Hurd
Peter Hurd (February 22, 1904 - July 9, 1984) was an American painter who lived and worked in San Patricio, New Mexico. He is equally acclaimed for his western landscapes and his portraits. He studied under the famous illustrator NC Wyeth and was married to Wyeth’s eldest daughter, Henriette Wyeth, also an accomplished painter.