William Herbert Dunton (1878-1936)

As noted on an inscription on the backing, the present work depicts a location 52 miles northeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico. "By about 1925 Dunton began painting more and more small landscape studies and sketches such as Desert Sunset. Nearly all are 5 x 8 or 8 x 5 inch panels cut from homemade canvasboard...Typically, these small paintings were painted in rich, fully-saturated, bold, warm colors; others, like Desert Sunset, lean toward the cool colors, incorporating lavenders and purples." (M.R. Grauer, unpublished letter)

This painting will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist's work being prepared by Michael R. Grauer, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs/Curator of Art and Western Heritage, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon, Texas.