Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
American, 1897-1968
Charles Bunnell developed a love for art at a very young age. As a child in Kansas City, Missouri, he spent much of his time drawing. When he was unable to find paper he drew on walls and in the margins of textbooks for which he was often fined. Around 1915, Bunnell moved with his family to Colorado Springs, Colorado. He served in World War I and later used his GI Training to study at the Broadmoor Art Academy (later renamed the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center) during 1922 and 1923.
In 1922, he married fellow student, Laura Palmer. He studied with Ernest Lawson in 1927-1928 and, in the winter of 1928-1929, he served as Lawson’s assistant. In the late 1920’s, the Bunnell’s settled just west of Colorado Springs and 1928, they welcomed the first of their three children. Their one-acre homesite, which they referred to as “Old Home Place”, was situated between two sets of railroad tracks at the foot of Pike’s Peak. Charlie converted an old railroad boxcar into his studio, where he later gave lessons.
Beginning in 1931, Bunnell spent a year and a half studying under Boardman Robinson. The two men clashed constantly due to a generation gap and markedly different philosophies. Robinson encouraged his students not to stray from realism and though Bunnell mastered Robinson’s preferred style of American Scene painting, he regularly irritated his professor with his abstract sketches.
Bunnell taught at the Kansas City Art Institute during the summers of 1929, 1930, 1940, and 1941. Between 1934 and 1941, he painted and taught under federal projects which included assisting Frank Mechau on murals for the Colorado Springs Post Office. However, he did not take to mural making and, after criticism from Boardman Robinson about his use of “heavy daubs which have no place in mural work,” he abandoned mural-making altogether.
By the late 1930’s, Bunnell’s work departed from the American Scene/Modernist style he was trained in towards abstraction. This is marked by his “Black and Blue” series, consisting of 83 abstracted ink and watercolors. Affected by the Second World War and the loss of his 10-year old son, Bunnell’s work of the early 1940’s took on a Transcendental and Surrealist tone. The works from this period are moody and readily reflect the political and personal turmoil experienced by the artist.
In the late 1940’s, Bunnell began experimenting with Abstract Expressionism. He alone is credited with introducing Colorado Springs to the new style as it was excluded from the Fine Art Center’s curriculum by Boardman Robinson. Bunnell excelled in Abstract Expressionism and continued to evolve in the style through the 1950’s continuing to his death in 1968. He was recently recognized as a premier American Abstract Expressionist by his inclusion in the book American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950’s: An Illustrated Survey. © David Cook Galleries, LLC
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Artist: Charles Ragland Bunnell
Man In His Search for God, 1939 WPA Era Original Grey Scale Gouache Painting
By Charles Ragland Bunnell
Located in Denver, CO
This striking vintage 1939 original painting, titled Man In His Search for God, is a powerful piece from Charles Bunnell’s renowned Black and Blue Series. The artwork is painted in i...
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1930s Futurist Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Abstract Expressionist Painting by Charles Bunnell, Circa 1950, Sacred Family
By Charles Ragland Bunnell
Located in Denver, CO
"Untitled (Sacred Family)" is a compelling mid-century abstract oil painting by Charles Ragland Bunnell (1897–1968), a pioneering figure in American Abstract Expressionism. Created c...
Category
1950s Abstract Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
1950s New York City Abstract Skyline - Moody Night Cityscape Oil Painting
By Charles Ragland Bunnell
Located in Denver, CO
This stunning 1951 oil painting on board by renowned American artist Charles Ragland Bunnell captures an abstracted New York City skyline in a rich nocturnal color palette of black, ...
Category
1950s Abstract Expressionist Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
1940s WPA-Era Abstract Watercolor of Golden Cycle Mill by Charles Ragland Bunnel
By Charles Ragland Bunnell
Located in Denver, CO
This original 1940s grayscale watercolor by Charles Ragland Bunnell captures a semi-abstracted view of the Golden Cycle Mill in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Rendered in subtle blacks and grays, this striking WPA-era landscape melds industrial subject matter with a modernist aesthetic. The piece exemplifies mid-20th-century American regionalism, blending expressive abstraction with historical significance.
The painting measures 8 1/8 x 9 5/8 inches (sight size) and is showcased in a custom black frame measuring 18 x 19 ½ x 1 ⅜ inches, making it an elegant addition to any collection of American art or industrial landscapes.
The Golden Cycle Mining and Reduction Company was a vital part of Colorado’s early 20th-century mining boom, located in what is now Old Colorado City. Bunnell’s work documents this industrial heritage through a modernist lens, offering a unique narrative of regional development.
About the Artist:
Charles Ragland Bunnell (1897–1968) was a key figure in Colorado’s art scene and a pioneer of American Modernism and abstraction. Trained at Broadmoor Art Academy, he combined American Scene painting with abstract forms. Bunnell contributed to New Deal art...
Category
1940s American Modern Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"Birth" 1940s Surrealist Abstract Watercolor Painting, Gray Scale Female Figure
By Charles Ragland Bunnell
Located in Denver, CO
"Birth" is a striking semi-abstract watercolor painting created by the talented Colorado artist, Charles Ragland Bunnell, in 1943. The artwork, crafted during Bunnell's Black and Blu...
Category
1940s Surrealist Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Cameron's Cone, Colorado Springs – Framed Sunset Watercolor Landscape Painting
By Charles Ragland Bunnell
Located in Denver, CO
This original 1930s watercolor painting by Charles Ragland Bunnell beautifully captures the majestic landscape of Cameron’s Cone near Colorado Springs...
Category
1930s Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
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Charles Ragland Bunnell figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Charles Ragland Bunnell figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of figurative paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Charles Ragland Bunnell in paint, oil paint, watercolor and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Charles Ragland Bunnell figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Emily Roz, Gregory Kitterle, and Mark Lavatelli. Charles Ragland Bunnell figurative paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $475 and tops out at $12,500, while the average work can sell for $2,950.