In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein

Best Art Book 2009

By Peter J. Hassrick & Elizabeth J. Cunningham

This volume is the definitive work on Blumenschein's life and art, reproducing masterworks from a new exhibit along with additional works and historical photographs to form the most comprehensive assemblage of his paintings ever published.  The text by Peter H. Hassrick and Elizabeth J. Cunningham draws on Blumenschein's papers as well as other archival sources to explore in depth the dimensions of his multifaceted life and his place in American history and culture. They examine his sixty-four-year artistic career, first as an illustrator and then a painter, revealing how his technique evolved and how his schooling and the artistic movements of his time informed his work. The authors demonstrate how Blumenschein's musical training profoundly influenced his painting, and they address issues overlooked in previous studies, such as Blumenschein's pivotal role in helping to preserve American Indian culture.