Barbara Latham Art
American, 1896-1989
Beginning her career as a commercial artist, Barbara Latham travelled to Taos in 1925 seeking material for a greeting card. Serendipitously, she also found her life partner, Howard Cook, who was similarly looking for ideas for illustrations. Perhaps both were fueled in their quest by the tales of their mutual teacher, Andrew Dasburg, who knew of the energy and stimulation of this artist community. Observing local people and customs, Latham created genre scenes that offer a window into this now-vanished time and place. Her lively illustrations for numerous children’s books are a significant contribution to that graphic art in the mid-20th century.
Born in Walpole, Massachusetts, Latham’s student days included Norwich Art School and Pratt Institute in Brooklyn; but it was contact with the charismatic Dasburg at the Art Students League in Woodstock that opened her world and her view of art. Getting work with companies like Norcross Publishing and Forum magazine, she eventually made her way to Taos. Among all the spirited young artists gathered there, she met Howard Cook, who was designing illustrations for Willa Cather’s Death Comes to the Archbishop. The two married in Santa Fe and began a nomadic life together. The young couple made their way to Paris, a likely destination for modernist artists. Upon receiving a Guggenheim to study fresco painting in 1932, Cook, along with Latham, took an alternative direction and headed to Taxco, Mexico. At this time, Mexican muralists, such as Diego Rivera, were capturing the attention of progressive artists. During the Depression, both Cook and Latham aligned themselves with a populist ideal. Latham contributed work, such as Fording the Stream and Bear Family, to the American Artists Group, which was founded to produce original prints at affordable prices. When Latham settled in Taos, she was committed to an art of and for the people. Rather than a romanticized re-creation, her choice of subjects was based in common everyday activities, favoring those which brought people together. Providing a livelihood, Latham’s illustrations for children’s books reflected her heartfelt belief in the availability of art for all, and her style of open brushwork contributed to a modernist transformation of this graphic art.
After World War II, Latham experimented with Surrealism and abstraction. Many of her painted genre scenes of the fifties simplify forms in order to intensify the interplay of color and shapes. With minimal background, figures are elegantly drawn to an essence, which seems to both capture their actions and take them out of time. Riders on horses have the same linear classicism of Parthenon sculptures, and the brilliance of figure groupings separate them from the background like a frieze.
Latham and Cook had a long-lived marriage, which was grounded in keeping their creative life separate. Latham even confessed that she did not recognize some of her husband’s work upon exhibition. In 1976, the couple moved to Santa Fe, which became their final home.
©David Cook Galleries, LLC(Biography provided by David Cook Galleries)
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Artist: Barbara Latham
Saturday Morning (Market, Taos Plaza, New Mexico), 1950s Figural Linocut Print
By Barbara Latham
Located in Denver, CO
1950s modernist linoleum cut print titled 'Saturday Morning (Market, Taos Plaza, New Mexico) by New Mexican artist Barbara Latham. Depicting a busy Saturday morning at the market in Taos Pueblo with horse and cart, Native American figures, adobe buildings and mountains in the background. Presented in a custom frame with all archival materials, outer dimensions measure 16 x 17 ¾ inches. Image size is 8 ½ x 10 ½ inches.
About the Artist:
Beginning her career as a commercial artist, Barbara Latham travelled to Taos in 1925 seeking material for a greeting card. Serendipitously, she also found her life partner, Howard Cook, who was similarly looking for ideas for illustrations. Perhaps both were fueled in their quest by the tales of their mutual teacher, Andrew Dasburg, who knew of the energy and stimulation of this artist community. Observing local people and customs, Latham created genre scenes that offer a window into this now-vanished time and place. Her lively illustrations for numerous children's books are a significant contribution to that graphic art in the mid-20th century.
Born in Walpole, Massachusetts, Latham's student days included Norwich Art School and Pratt Institute in Brooklyn; but it was contact with the charismatic Dasburg at the Art Students League in Woodstock that opened her world and her view of art. Getting work with companies like Norcross Publishing and Forum magazine, she eventually made her way to Taos. Among all the spirited young artists gathered there, she met Howard Cook, who was designing illustrations for Willa Cather's Death Comes to the Archbishop. The two married in Santa Fe and began a nomadic life together.
The young couple made their way to Paris, a likely destination for modernist artists. Upon receiving a Guggenheim to study fresco painting in 1932, Cook, along with Latham, took an alternative direction and headed to Taxco, Mexico. At this time, Mexican muralists, such as Diego Rivera, were capturing the attention of progressive artists. During the Depression, both Cook and Latham aligned themselves with a populist ideal. Latham contributed work, such as "Fording the Stream" and "Bear Family," to the American Artists Group, which was founded to produce original prints at affordable prices. The couple also travelled in the Deep South to the Ozarks and to "Alabama's Black Belt."
When Latham settled in Taos, she was committed to an art of and for the people. Rather than a romanticized re-creation, her choice of subjects was based in common everyday activities, favoring those which brought people together. Taos Pueblo was an ancient, indigenous community, and Latham's view extended that tradition into a contemporary, multi-ethnic village. Sharing some of the spirit of WPA photographs...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Barbara Latham Art
Materials
Linocut
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Provenance:
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About the Artist:
Beginning her career as a commercial artist, Barbara Latham traveled to Taos in 1925 seeking material for a greeting card. Serendipitously, she also found her life partner, Howard Cook, who was similarly looking for ideas for illustrations. Perhaps both were fueled in their quest by the tales of their mutual teacher, Andrew Dasburg, who knew of the energy and stimulation of this artist community. Observing local people and customs, Latham created genre scenes that offer a window into this now-vanished time and place. Her lively illustrations for numerous children's books are a significant contribution to that graphic art in the mid-20th century.
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Barbara Latham art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Barbara Latham art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Barbara Latham in linocut, paint, watercolor and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Barbara Latham art, so small editions measuring 14 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of John Taylor Arms, Alfred Bendiner, and Samuel Chamberlain. Barbara Latham art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $795 and tops out at $1,600, while the average work can sell for $1,198.