William Herbert "Buck" Dunton (August 28, 1878 – March 18, 1936) was an American artist and a founding member of the

Taos Society of Artists The Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico. Established in 1915, it was disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation ...

. He is noted for paintings of cowboys, New Mexico, and the American Southwest.

Early life and education

Dunton worked as a ranch hand as a youth and studied at the Cowles Art School in Boston, Massachusetts. He moved to New York City around 1903, where he worked as an illustrator for publishing companies. In 1912 he briefly studied at the

Art Student's League The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may stu ...

, where

Ernest Blumenschein Ernest Leonard Blumenschein (May 26, 1874 – June 6, 1960) was an American artist and founding member of the Taos Society of Artists. He is noted for paintings of Native Americans, New Mexico and the American Southwest. Early life and educat ...

told him about Taos, New Mexico.

Artistic career

He first visited Taos in 1912 and became part of the

Taos art colony The Taos art colony was an art colony founded in Taos, New Mexico, by artists attracted by the culture of the Taos Pueblo and northern New Mexico. The history of Hispanic craftsmanship in furniture, tin work, and other mediums also played a rol ...

. Dunton became one of the founding members of the

in 1915. Among his proteges in Western art was Harold Dow Bugbee of Clarendon and

Canyon A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...

in the Texas Panhandle. In 1921, American oil executive W. H. McFadden commissioned Dunton to paint a full-length portrait of big-game hunter

Ben Lilly Caleb Craig North or North (1856 – December 17, 1936), nicknamed Rooster, was a notorious hunter, big game hunter, houndsman and mountain man of the late American Old West. He remains famous for hunting down large numbers of grizzly bear, grizz ...

. The portrait was exhibited by the National Academy of Design before being located in McFadden's home in New Orleans. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

References

External links

AskArt: ''William Herbert Dunton'', BiographyAfrica Hunting: Painting of Ben Lilly by Herbert DuntonW. Herbert Dunton
at New Mexico Museum of Art * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunton, W. Herbert Buck 1878 births 1936 deaths 19th-century American painters American male painters 20th-century American painters Artists from Taos, New Mexico Artists of the American West Painters from Maine Painters from New Mexico People from Augusta, Maine Taos Society of Artists Olympic competitors in art competitions 19th-century American male artists 20th-century American male artists