Couse, Eanger Irving

1866 - 1936

American

painter, muralist

“Eanger Irving Couse studied at the Art Institute of Chicago (1882), the National Academy of Design in New York (1883-1885), the Académie Julian in Paris (1886-1891) and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris (1891), working in Paris with the master painter, Adolphe Bouguereau. Couse initially became interested in Western subject matter from visits to his father-in-law's sheep ranch in Oregon. In 1902 he was invited to Taos, New Mexico by Ernest Blumenschein and Joseph Henry Sharp. He established a studio in Taos in 1909, while still living in New York, and in 1928 he moved to Taos permanently. Couse received the Second Altman Prize, National Academy of Design (1916) and the Carnegie Prize (1912-1913). He was a member of the National Academy of Design. He concentrated primarily on Native American subjects. He made sketches and took photographs of Native Americans on his trips to Taos - his favorite models were Ben Luhan and Jerri Mirabel - later executing his paintings in his studio. Couse was concerned with capturing authentic and realistic details, imbuing his subjects with a dignified simplicity, such as his oil Hunting Cranes. His 1891 work The Captive, which was painted before his connection with Taos, depicts the aftermath of the infamous Whitman Massacre of 1847. During the massacre members of the Cayuse tribe killed and captured many people at the Whitman mission because they believed the settlers were responsible for a virulent measles outbreak. This dramatic work, displayed at the Paris Salon in 1892, displays a sympathetic understanding of the conflicts between Native Americans and settlers. Couse also made many paintings for use by the Santa Fe Railroad in calendars, advertisements and menus.” – Oxford Art Online

Art of the Oregon Territory: Paintings from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Franz Stenzel

Art of the Oregon Territory: Paintings from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Franz Stenzel subject