Interior Courtyard of Pueblo, Santa Clara, New Mexico, circa 1883
Charles Craig (American, 1846 - 1931)
oil on canvas, 21 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. (54.6 x 100.3 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John A. Hill in memory of Maurice N. Mikesell, 1975
3372.23P
Charles Craig was born on a farm in Morgan City, Ohio and started sketching as a young boy. Though he attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts for a year, he was primarily a self-taught artist who drew upon personal experience for his subject matter. At the age of nineteen he made his first trip West up the Missouri River living for four years with various Native American tribes and getting as far as Montana. In 1881 he moved to Colorado Springs, where he would remain for 50 years, painting, exhibiting, and teaching. Inspired by Western and Indian life, Craig’s paintings were characterized by detailed accuracy.