279

Joseph Henry Sharp

1859 - 1953

Taos Mountain and Rabbit Brush

oil on board
signed lower right: JH SHARP
inscribed verso: TAOS MOUNTAIN / AND RABBIT BRUSH - / BY J.H. SHARP.
15 x 18 1/2 in. (38.1 x 47 cm.), frame: 21 3/4 x 25 1/2 x 1 1/4 in. (55.2 x 64.8 x 3.2 cm.)

  • Provenance: Zaplin Lampert Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
    Private Collection, California

    Joseph Henry Sharp was an American painter, often called the "spiritual father" of the Taos Society of Artists, renowned for intimate portraits of Native peoples and atmospheric scenes of Pueblo life. Born in Bridgeport, Ohio, he trained at the Cincinnati Art Academy, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, and the Académie Julian in Paris. After first visiting Taos in 1893, he split his working life between New Mexico and the Northern Plains (especially the Crow Agency in Montana), producing hundreds of portraits and camp interiors that combine careful ethnographic attention with a warm, luminous palette. A founding member of the Taos Society (1915), Sharp maintained studios at what is now the Couse–Sharp Historic Site in Taos. His paintings—Pueblo dancers, landscapes, interior night scenes lit by fire or lamplight, and finely observed likenesses of Crow, Blackfeet, and Pueblo sitters—are held by major museums and helped define the early 20th-century image of the Southwest.
  • Condition: This piece has been examined under blacklight and is in very good condition overall. Very minor areas of inpainting along the margins visible only under blacklight. Three minor areas of loss near the cloud and in the upper right corner.

    A condition report for this lot is available upon request and is provided by Santa Fe Art Auction as a courtesy and convenience for potential buyers.

Shipping Options

Invaluable Shipping

  • Expert Care packing and Shipping
  • Shipment Protection
  • Real-time tracking

Arrange your own

  • You will coordinate with us to arrange your own shipping

Local pickup

  • You will coordinate with us and arrange pick up time after payment.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, COD (cash on delivery), MasterCard, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

November 8, 2025 1:00 PM MST
Santa Fe, NM, US

Santa Fe Art Auction

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$1 - $1,000,000:
23.00%
$1,000,001+:
18.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000