Joseph Imhof
Born New York, 1871
Died New Mexico, 1955

As a young man in Brooklyn, Imhof was a self-taught lithographer began his career working for Currier and Ives in New York City. He is noted for his significant contributions in the documentation of Native American life in New Mexico. He painted a series of sixty works that focus on the cultural significance of corn in the lives of the Pueblo Indians.

In 1891, he received his first formal education in Europe. During the next four years, Imhof was apprenticed to various artists in Paris, Brusssels, Antwerp and Munich. Ironically, this European experience was Imhof's first introduction to the American West. In Antwerp, he was commissioned to sketch Buffalo Bill and his Indians in the "Wild West Show" as they made their way touring Europe. This experience greatly enhanced Imhof's fascination with the West, causing him to shift the direction of his career. Indulging in his fascinations, he soon returned to the United States with the intentions of studying various Indian tribes. Although Imhof abruptly changed the focus of his career, the lithography methods he learned in Europe had a significant impact on his skills as an artist.

Upon his return, Imhof stayed in the Northeast studying the Iroquois Indians of New York State and Canada. During the next ten years, he worked on photography and color printing inventions. This endeavor proved to be a prosperous one, as these innovations financed his early painting career.

In 1897, Imhof married Sarah Stuart. Together they traveled widely, returning to Europe several times and also to the Southwest. In 1905, Imhof became the first artist to document ceremonies of Pueblo Indians. The following year, he set up a studio in Albuquerque and made extensive travels throughout the Southwest. Finally in 1929, Imhof settled in Taos. His attraction to the Indians influenced him to build his studio very close to the reservation. From his studio, he had an excellent view of the Sacred Mountain behind the Pueblo. He remained in this area for the next 20 years documenting Native American culture through his paintings.

One of Imhof's greatest contributions to American art is that he combined his artistic abilities with his ethnological studies. He chose to paint about his experiences with the Native American culture, rather than write them down. Imhof's also brought the first lithography press to Taos, dedicating himself to making prints of ethnological value. Aside from his artistic endeavors, he also contributed to the community by teaching lithography.

Works held: Amon Carter Museum; Museum of New Mexico; Museum of Anthropology; Adams Collection.

Further Reading: Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975: 400 Years of Artists in America, Vol. 2. Peter Hastings Falk, Georgia Kuchen and Veronica Roessler, eds., Sound View Press, Madison, Connecticut, 1999. 3 Vols. (Original Listing 1940).; The Illustrated Biographical Encyclopedia of Artists of the American West, Harold and Peggy Samuels, ed., Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, New York, 1976.

Biography courtesy of David Cook Galleries, www.antiquesandfineart.com/davidcook