Gathering of Cowboys outside an Adobe

Born in Bridgeport, Ohio, just across the Ohio River from West Virginia, Joseph Henry Sharp moved to Cincinnati in 1872, when he was just 13 years old. One year later he began his studies at the Cincinnati Art Academy, and he would continue to paint for the next 80 years. He was influenced greatly by the Indians passing through his farm home on the edge of West Virginia, an experience that would direct his interest to the Taos and Pueblo Indians and lead him to depict them throughout the majority of his career.

Though he was best known for his depictions of Indians, Sharp also painted numerous landscapes with the same descriptive and preservatory nature. Both the Indian cultures and the untouched landscapes were quickly vanishing, and Sharp voraciously painted these subjects to preserve their place within the realm of history.

Deaf from the age of 12, Sharp also began losing his sight around the age of 75. As a result, he increased the size and scope of his canvases, in addition to softening the details. Autumn, West Virginia is an example of this later work. The canvas, with loose, broad brushstrokes and vivid autumn colors magnificently portrays Sharp's boyhood home. The lush hillsides that continue to the horizon are evidence of an untouched landscape that was slowly disappearing due to industrial growth along the river.