# Oscar Edmund Berninghaus artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/oscar-edmund-berninghaus/
Profile generated: 2026-05-23T02:19:09.381Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1874-10-02
- Death date: 1952-04-27
- Nationality: American
- Movements: Taos Society of Artists
- Common media: oil painting, watercolor, illustration (pen and ink)

## About Oscar Edmund Berninghaus

Oscar Edmund Berninghaus (1874–1952) was an American painter and illustrator renowned for his vivid depictions of Native American life, the landscapes of New Mexico, and the American Southwest. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Berninghaus first visited Taos, New Mexico in 1899 and was immediately drawn to the region's culture and terrain. He became a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists in 1915, a collective that established Taos as a nationally recognized art colony. Working in oil and watercolor, he captured Pueblo ceremonies, horseback riders, ranching scenes, and high-desert landscapes with strong narrative detail and atmospheric color. Beyond easel painting, Berninghaus maintained a career as a commercial illustrator. His son, Charles Berninghaus (1905–1988), also became a Taos-based painter. Today Berninghaus's work is held in museum collections and appears regularly at major American art auctions.

## Common works and media

Common works include oil paintings on canvas and board depicting Southwestern landscapes, Native American figures, Pueblo ceremonial scenes, horseback riders, and ranching activities. Berninghaus also produced watercolors, pen-and-ink illustrations, and commercial advertising art. Smaller sketches and studies appear alongside finished easel paintings at auction.

## Market and appraisal context

Berninghaus's paintings appear frequently at American and Western art auctions, with oils of Southwestern and Native American subjects generating the strongest collector interest. Key valuation factors include medium, subject matter, size, provenance, and condition. Works from his Taos Society period (1915–1927) tend to carry the greatest historical significance. Exhibition history and museum provenance can meaningfully influence value. Collectors should be aware that Berninghaus also produced commercial illustrations and smaller sketches, which trade at lower price points than finished easel paintings. Attribution should be confirmed through signature, provenance, or expert review, as his son Charles painted similar Southwestern subjects.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from museum records, library authority files, and published references with available auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots. For Oscar Edmund Berninghaus, sources include the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the Library of Congress authority file, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, and Wikidata, supplemented by auction-house listings and public sale records when available.

## Sources

- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/7526
- VIAF (OCLC): https://viaf.org/viaf/42765760/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500029522
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7105949
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_E._Berninghaus
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85191428