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First Painting in US?
July 13, 2024

First Painting in US?

Historically Important American painting for a Western or Americana Collector. Possibly the oldest painting ever painted in America outside of a cave. Hangs above the fireplace in the music room which was specifically given a fireplace to display this piece. Spectacular old museum quality frame. Extremely important piece. Early American Tempura portrait of Saint Francis.

Background: In 1598 the Conquistador Onate came into what is now New Mexico with a company of Spanish soldiers and ten Franciscan priests. Onate became the first governor of New Mexico and the priests built mission churches and established America’s first school – for the purpose of teaching the Indians to draw and carve religious icons or their homes and churches. To demonstrate their humility the priests used their own cassocks to paint the image which the students were taught to copy. It is not known if this painting survived the Pueblo Uprising of 1680 or was done when the priests returned. This painting was acquired from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in 1907 when a well-to-do European collector of religious art visited the Archdiocese on his year-long “grand tour” of America. He found a room filled with relics and icons from the recently closed missions and bought this magnificently framed tempura which the Santa Fe priests identified as the Saint Francis which the local natives were taught to copy. The European collector ended up living in San Marino many years later and sold the painting in 1967 when he was in his 90s via the Pasadena Auction Galley to the Executor’s client who was its third owner. The next buyer of this piece will be the 4th owner of all time. The Franciscan House in Northern California heard about this piece in the late 1980s and contacted the Executor’s client and asked for it as a donation or bequest. It hangs above the fireplace in the music room. Possibly the oldest painting done in America. Magnificently framed.

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