Charles Reynolds~
Beyond The Canvas

Chimayo Trading Staff Report | June 2026

In the vibrant mid-20th-century art scene of Taos, New Mexico, Charles Henry Reynolds (1902–1963) stood out not only as a skilled landscape painter but as a multifaceted creator whose hands-on talents extended into wood working, working as an Indian trader running a trading post and art gallery, and community building. While his realistic oils and watercolors of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Pueblo life earned him a place among the later interpreters of the Taos art colony, Reynolds’s life reflected the practical ingenuity of many Southwestern artists who balanced creative pursuits with entrepreneurial endeavors.

New Arrivals from one of the last undiscovered Taos artists Charles Reynolds, are now available at Chimayo Trading in Ranchos de Taos or online at chimayotrading.com.

ca.1950s
Oil on panel
18″ x 24″
$3950

Born in Kiowa, Oklahoma (then Indian Territory), Reynolds pursued higher education at the University of Oklahoma and Tulsa University before entering the business world as a bookkeeper and executive. He began painting seriously around 1925, with brief formal studies in Chicago and Paris, but remained largely self-taught. By 1932 he was visiting New Mexico, drawn to the light and landscapes that had captivated an earlier generation. He settled permanently in Taos in 1946, immersing himself in the local artistic community.

ca.1950s
Oil on panel
14″ x 18″
$2850

Reynolds developed a deep artistic kinship with the work of Oscar E. Berninghaus, a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists known for his sensitive depictions of Native American life and Southwestern scenes. Reynolds openly drew inspiration from O.E. Berninghaus’s painterly realism and technical mastery. This influence carried into personal and professional relationships with the Berninghaus family, including Oscar’s son, Charles (Julius Charles) Berninghaus (1905–1988), who himself became a respected Taos impressionist landscape painter.

“Aspen Drive”, ca. 1940s-1950s
Oil on canvas panel
20″ x 24”
$5500

The two Charleses, close in age and sharing a passion for interpreting the Taos Valley, moved in overlapping circles. Reynolds admired the younger Berninghaus’s ability to capture atmospheric effects, while Berninghaus appreciated Reynolds’s grounded realism. Anecdotes from Taos old-timers suggest the pair occasionally sketched together in the surrounding hills, exchanging techniques and stories of the older Taos founders. Reynolds’s own paintings often echoed the compositional balance and luminous quality seen in the Berninghaus tradition, helping bridge the classic Taos Society era with postwar artists.

“Stacking Hay”, ca.1940s
Oil on canvas panel
17.25″ x 21.25″
SOLD

Beyond painting, Reynolds was an accomplished furniture maker and woodworker who began handcrafting his own custom frames. Friends recalled his workshop as a place of sawdust and creativity, where he applied the same meticulous craftsmanship visible in his brushwork. Though few examples survive in public collections today, they underscore Reynolds’s identity as a complete artisan rather than solely a painter.

“Aspens In Rio Hondo”, ca. 1950s
Oil on panel, Ca. 1950s
12″ x 9″
SOLD

Reynolds’s entrepreneurial spirit culminated in his operation of a prominent art gallery and trading post-style establishment in Taos. Described by contemporaries as one of the largest commercial art markets in New Mexico, it served as both a showroom for his own works and a hub for other artists. This venture allowed him to thrive as a “confirmed realist” and adept promoter, sustaining his painting career while supporting the broader Taos arts community. Charles Reynolds passed away in 1963, leaving behind a body of work that captures the enduring spirit of the Southwest.

His story reminds us that Taos artists were often more than painters—they were builders, traders, and stewards of a living artistic tradition. Through his connection to the Berninghaus family, his woodworking, and his gallery enterprise, Reynolds embodied the resourceful creativity that helped define the Taos art colony in the 20th century.

If you have enjoyed our newsletters and learning about the artists and artwork we represent, or if you’ve had a good experience visiting our gallery, please take a moment to let us know by leaving a review using the links below.

Come to the gallery to see where History Meets Art in Taos..

#1 Saint Francis Church Plaza
Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

575.758.0504

We buy individual pieces or whole collections.

Contact us for the evaluation and resale of your collectible art.
We’re interested in locating relevant collections and original New Mexico artwork for purchase. We buy historic and contemporary relevant paintings, pottery, jewelry, textiles, weavings and more.

Contact us directly to discuss and evaluate your collection. If you’re an artist, contact us about the possibility of selling your art on consignment or direct wholesale purchase.

• Instagram
• Facebook

Copyright © 2024 Chimayo Trading Del Norte | Ranchos Del Taos, 87557 | All rights reserved.