Warren E. Rollins
and “The House of Montezuma”

By Rebekah Powers | March 2023

Sometimes at Chimayo Trading Del Norte, we find a major work by an extremely important historic figure in Southwestern Art. The artist is Warren E. Rollins, and the painting is titled “The House of Montezuma” and both the man and the painting have an interesting backstory.

Rollins was born in Carson City, Nevada in 1861, raised in California and educated at the San Francisco School of Design under Virgil Williams. Upon graduation, the young artist was awarded the Avery Gold Medal. When he married in 1887, it marked a turning point in the direction of his life and his inspiration as he became fascinated with the Native American people and their way of life. Rollins approached the study of the many cultures of individual tribes with dedication, humility and authenticity in his work.

His investigation was deep and wide as he traveled extensively, through every western state from border to border, from tribe to tribe. Soon he was mesmerized by the stupendous landscape and his focus extended to the ruins of historic adobe structures, as well as the many cultural intersections. One story told about his travels involves a portrait sitting with Calamity Jane, which took place in a saloon.

It was only a matter of time before Warren Rollins found Santa Fe and became an important part of the scene, becoming friends with a roster of famous artists including Carlos Vierra, Sheldon Parsons, Gerald Cassidy, Kenneth Chapman and many more. He was known as the “Dean of the Santa Fe Art Colony”. He was also the first artist to have a formal exhibition which was held at the Old Palace of the Governors in 1906.

Warren Rollins then, was in the first wave of artists who settled in New Mexico. It must have been an exhilarating time to be a painter. And he was more ambitious and curious than most. Traveling constantly throughout the Western states, Rollins lived among and painted the Hopi, Crow and Blackfoot tribes as well as the Navajo. He arrived in Taos in 1917 where he established a studio near his friend, Irving Couse. He was interested in Pueblo Culture, and the adobe architecture of Mission Churches in Arizona and New Mexico. From all accounts, he was a great listener and his image making was often inspired by a story.

Which brings us to “The House of Montezuma”, a historic work of a much larger scale than most of Rollin’s paintings. The extraordinary ruin is an ancient “cajon”, a structure of adobe clay rammed into a wooden box or frame built course by course. For a long time the building was known as “The House of Montezuma”, even though that would have been news to Montezuma. A lot of that history is lost, but the story that inspired Warren Rollins was about a priest who was one of the first Europeans to see the magnificent ruin. Padré Eusebio Francisco Kino came upon the site in his travels between mission churches in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Padre Pino was moved by the grand design and felt called on that occasion to say mass within its thick adobe walls. The story goes that the site ever after was imbued with a spiritual significance that extended beyond its walls.

Rollins portrays that awe of first moment felt by the priest who, much like Rollins himself was known to travel about the Southwest from mission to mission. Close observation of this painting reveals a textured surface that conveys the feeling of this ancient adobe ruin pitted by time. The exceptional size of the painting recalls the grandeur of the original historic structure. The priest in the foreground was one of the most admired and beloved of the early Catholic priests. But the true subject matter seems to be awe and wonder and the human ability to connect through the artifacts of time. And certainly, this painting is one of those.

Warren Rollins became more than a painter in Santa Fe. He was an organizer, becoming the first president of the Santa Fe Art Club and active in helping to form the museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe which has an extensive collection of his work, which makes it all the more rare a find in this major work: “The House of Montezuma “. He was the first in many ways, having become an explorer of this vast land and the artifacts of history, meeting the people who would become the writers of history, he paved the path for many artists who came after the “Dean of the Santa Fe Art Colony”, Warren E. Collins.

We are fortunate to offer this important part of history on display now in our extended gallery. The painting shows to great advantage on our own restored adobe walls. Come and take in the view today and see a number of the historic painters of Taos, Santa Fe and beyond at Chimayo Trading, where History meets Art.

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Warren E. Rollins and “The House of Montezuma”

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Warren E. Rollins
and “The House of Montezuma”