HERNANDO G. VILLA (1881-1952) THE CHIEF . . . IS STILL CHIEF / SANTA FE. 1931.
42 1/4x28 1/4 inches, 107 1/4x71 3/4 cm. Newman-Monroe Co., Chicago.
Condition A- / B+: expertly-repaired tears at edges, some slightly into image; light foxing in margins; small losses in upper left corner.
Villa, who was born in Los Angeles to an artist father, became a painter and taught at the Los Angeles School of Art. Throughout his career, he spent 44 years designing advertising for the Santa Fe Railroad. Regarded for his Western paintings, he is best remembered for his work for the railroad, specifically his personification of the railroad's locomotive, The Chief. "The Chief" was the Santa Fe Railroad's high-speed train running from Chicago to Los Angeles, and by associating the train with a powerful Western image, Villa bestows a sense of nobility, strength and pride upon the railroad. rare. We have found only one other example at auction in the last 20 years. Zega 99.