Gustave Baumann
Beauty of the world
Gustave Baumann (1881-1971) was born in Germany and moved to Chicago with his family in 1891. A printmaker and a painter, his work prior to moving to Santa Fe in 1918 had a more somber palette. After an earlier visit to Santa Fe and Taos he wrote that he had “learned too late that a palette and theories regarding color east of the Mississippi should all be tossed in the river as you cross the bridge. My summer’s work looked very sad indeed. I felt I wanted another try at this obstreperous material.”
His palette became more bold as he absorbed the Southwest and the coast of California. He mixed his own inks, carved the blocks, and pulled the editions of, usually, 125 prints. Commenting on the blocks, he wrote, “There is something precious about a clean basswood plank properly seasoned. The gouge, sharpened to a hair’s edge, sinks in and comes out of the wood at just the right time.” An advocate of fine craftsmanship, he often said, “What you put your hand to, put your heart behind.” When he signed his prints, he printed a small hand with a heart between his first and last name.
Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe will have an exhibition of his prints September 27 through November 30.
After a cold winter, the blossoming of fruit trees in the spring brings vibrant color to the monochromatic landscape. His Spring Serenade is a celebration of the
contrast. Strangers from Hopi Land illustrates his continuing fascination with the Native culture of the Southwest. He had begun collecting katsinam shortly after settling in Santa Fe.
Native life in the context of the landscape is depicted in his Day of the Deer Dance. The Pueblo buildings are dwarfed at the base of the cliff. Observers huddle in the right foreground while the dancers are silhouetted against the sunlit cliff.
Living in Brown County, Indiana, for nearly six years before moving west, Baumann carved a phrase beneath the mantel of a friend’s home: “Every morning I take off my hat to the beauty of the world.”