Peter Hurd
Encyclopedia
Peter Hurd was an American artist, born Harold Hurd, Jr., in Roswell, New Mexico
.
Nicknamed "Pete" by his parents, he later legally changed his name to Peter.
in 1918 as a high school freshman where he began a lifelong friendship with writer Paul Horgan
.
Intending to pursue a military career, in 1921 Hurd entered the United States Military Academy
at West Point
, New York
. After two years, however, he resigned from the Academy to enroll at Haverford College
in Pennsylvania
.
Hurd soon began studying under the illustrator N.C. Wyeth. He worked as Wyeth's assistant at Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, for a number of years. In 1929, he married Wyeth's daughter, Henriette Wyeth
, an artist who later became known for her portraits and still life
paintings.
Hurd was a war correspondent for Life
during World War II
.
From 1953 to 1954, Hurd, assisted by his proteges Manuel Acosta
and John Meigs as well as his wife Henriette, painted a fresco
mural
in the rotunda of what was then the West Texas Museum (now Holden
Hall) at Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University
) in Lubbock
. Hurd painted about one fresco per week over a two-year period, with depictions of pioneers and influential leaders of West Texas. Those portrayed on the mural include the merchant Crone W. Furr, founder of Furr's Supermarkets, Robert Franklin Dunn, a pioneer Methodist minister and circuit-rider, journalist James Lorenzo Dow, cattleman William E. Halsell, philanthropist Dora Nunn Roberts, oilman Sid W. Richardson
, and physician Marvin C. Overton. One panel, entitled "The Chroniclers", depicts historian J. Evetts Haley
, William Curry Holden
, Tom Lea
, and John A. Lomax gathered around a blazing campfire. Hurd himself is also in the scene, sketchpad in hand.
In 1957, he collaborated with Folkways Records
and released his album, Spanish Folk Songs of New Mexico, a collection of ranching songs. By 1958, his recognition had spread, and he was appointed to the President’s Commission of Fine Arts.
In 1967, he painted what would have been Lyndon B. Johnson
's official portrait. President Johnson only allowed Hurd one sitting, during which time Johnson fell asleep. Hurd hence had to use photographs of Johnson to finish the painting. Johnson did not like his portrait, declaring it "the ugliest thing I ever saw." The painting is now part of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, in the Smithsonian Institution
. Hurd's Time Magazine cover portrait of Charles C. Tillinghast, Jr. was featured in a National Portrait Gallery exhibit of the magazine's cover art that opened in 1969.
Hurd died in 1984 in Roswell.
and in the Hondo Valley.
Some of Hurd's works include:
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
.
Nicknamed "Pete" by his parents, he later legally changed his name to Peter.
Life
Hurd enrolled at New Mexico Military InstituteNew Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute is a state-supported educational institution. NMMI is located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. It is sometimes referred to as the West Point of the West and it is the only state-supported military college located in the western United States. NMMI includes a...
in 1918 as a high school freshman where he began a lifelong friendship with writer Paul Horgan
Paul Horgan
Paul Horgan was an American author of fiction and non-fiction, most of which was set in the Southwestern United States. He was the recipient of two Pulitzer prizes in History...
.
Intending to pursue a military career, in 1921 Hurd entered the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. After two years, however, he resigned from the Academy to enroll at Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Hurd soon began studying under the illustrator N.C. Wyeth. He worked as Wyeth's assistant at Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, for a number of years. In 1929, he married Wyeth's daughter, Henriette Wyeth
Henriette Wyeth
Henriette Wyeth Hurd was an American artist noted for portraits and still life paintings. She was the wife of artist Peter Hurd, daughter of illustrator N.C. Wyeth and sister of artist Andrew Wyeth. She was also the mother of artist Michael Hurd...
, an artist who later became known for her portraits and still life
Still life
A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made...
paintings.
Hurd was a war correspondent for Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
From 1953 to 1954, Hurd, assisted by his proteges Manuel Acosta
Manuel Gregorio Acosta
Manuel Acosta was a Mexican-American painter and illustrator who was born into an impoverished family in Aldama, Chihuahua, Mexico, on May 9, 1921. His father, Ramón P. Acosta, had fought in the Mexican Revolution with Pancho Villa, and the Mexican Revolution was a recurring theme in Manuel's...
and John Meigs as well as his wife Henriette, painted a fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
in the rotunda of what was then the West Texas Museum (now Holden
William Curry Holden
William Curry Holden , also known as Curry Holden, was an historian and archaeologist. In 1937, he became the first director of the Museum of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. During his tenure, the museum gained regional and state recognition for excellence...
Hall) at Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
) in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. Hurd painted about one fresco per week over a two-year period, with depictions of pioneers and influential leaders of West Texas. Those portrayed on the mural include the merchant Crone W. Furr, founder of Furr's Supermarkets, Robert Franklin Dunn, a pioneer Methodist minister and circuit-rider, journalist James Lorenzo Dow, cattleman William E. Halsell, philanthropist Dora Nunn Roberts, oilman Sid W. Richardson
Sid W. Richardson
Sid Williams Richardson was a Texas oilman, cattleman, and philanthropist known for his association with the city of Fort Worth....
, and physician Marvin C. Overton. One panel, entitled "The Chroniclers", depicts historian J. Evetts Haley
J. Evetts Haley
James Evetts Haley, Sr., usually known as J. Evetts Haley , was a Texas-born political activist and historian who wrote multiple works on the American West, including an enduring biography of legendary cattleman Charles Goodnight...
, William Curry Holden
William Curry Holden
William Curry Holden , also known as Curry Holden, was an historian and archaeologist. In 1937, he became the first director of the Museum of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. During his tenure, the museum gained regional and state recognition for excellence...
, Tom Lea
Thomas C. Lea, III
Thomas Calloway "Tom" Lea, III was a noted American muralist, illustrator, artist, war correspondent, novelist, and historian....
, and John A. Lomax gathered around a blazing campfire. Hurd himself is also in the scene, sketchpad in hand.
In 1957, he collaborated with Folkways Records
Folkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
and released his album, Spanish Folk Songs of New Mexico, a collection of ranching songs. By 1958, his recognition had spread, and he was appointed to the President’s Commission of Fine Arts.
In 1967, he painted what would have been Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
's official portrait. President Johnson only allowed Hurd one sitting, during which time Johnson fell asleep. Hurd hence had to use photographs of Johnson to finish the painting. Johnson did not like his portrait, declaring it "the ugliest thing I ever saw." The painting is now part of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, in the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. Hurd's Time Magazine cover portrait of Charles C. Tillinghast, Jr. was featured in a National Portrait Gallery exhibit of the magazine's cover art that opened in 1969.
Hurd died in 1984 in Roswell.
Works
Many of Peter Hurd's works are set in Southeastern New Mexico, on his family's ranch in San PatricioSan Patricio, New Mexico
San Patricio is a very small community in Lincoln County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is located on the Rio Ruidoso and U.S. Highway 70, between the communities of Hondo and Glencoe. It is just east of the Lincoln National Forest...
and in the Hondo Valley.
Some of Hurd's works include:
- The Eve of St. John
- The Oasis
- The Gate and Beyond
- The Red Pickup
- The Late Call
- The Future Belongs To Those Who Prepare For It - located inside the soon-to-be-demolished Prudential Building in Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, but scheduled to be relocated to a new public library building in Artesia, NM.
External links
- Eve of St. John on display at the San Diego Museum of Art
- Lyndon B. Johnson on display at the National Portrait Gallery
- Image Gallery of the Peter Hurd mural in rotunda of Holden Hall at Texas Tech University
- Peter Hurd Artwork Examples on AskART.
- Peter Hurd and Henriette Wyeth Hurd papers at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art
- Spanish Folk Songs of New Mexico at Smithsonian FolkwaysSmithsonian FolkwaysSmithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways...