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 Painting by Charles Bunnell Modernist Art
By Charles Ragland Bunnell
Located in Denver, CO
This evocative 1939 original painting, titled “Man In His Search for God,” is a rare and powerful work from Charles Bunnell’s acclaimed Black and Blue Series. Executed in ink wash or...
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1930s Futurist Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
Materials
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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
1940s WPA Watercolor by Charles Ragland Bunnell, Golden Cycle Mill, Colorado
By Charles Ragland Bunnell
Located in Denver, CO
This original 1940s grayscale watercolor by Charles Ragland Bunnell depicts a semi-abstracted view of the Golden Cycle Mill in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Rendered in subtle gradations of black and gray, the composition reflects the influence of WPA-era Modernism, combining industrial subject matter with expressive abstraction. The work is a notable example of mid-20th-century American Regionalism, capturing both a sense of place and a forward-looking artistic vision.
Bunnell’s restrained palette and simplified architectural forms transform the industrial landscape into a dynamic modern composition, emphasizing structure, rhythm, and atmosphere. The subject references the Golden Cycle Mining and Reduction Company, a major contributor to Colorado’s early 20th-century mining industry, located in what is now Old Colorado City. Through this modernist lens, the painting documents an important chapter of Western industrial history.
The watercolor measures 8 1/8 x 9 5/8 inches (sight size) and is presented in a custom black frame measuring 18 x 19 ½ x 1 ⅜ inches, making it a refined, display-ready piece for collectors of American Modern art, WPA works, and industrial landscapes.
Charles Ragland Bunnell (1897–1968) was a pioneering Colorado modernist, New Deal art...
Category
1940s American Modern Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
Materials
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"Birth" 1940s Surrealist Abstract Watercolor Painting, Gray Scale Female Figure
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"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...
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1940s Surrealist Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
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Cameron
s Cone, Colorado Springs – Framed Sunset Watercolor Landscape Painting
By Charles Ragland Bunnell
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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
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Charles Ragland Bunnell 1940 Surrealist Oil Painting of Man with Eye Orb
By Charles Ragland Bunnell
Located in Denver, CO
This original vintage painting by American artist Charles Ragland Bunnell presents a captivating example of his surrealist vision during the mid-20th century. Painted in 1940, the co...
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1940s Surrealist Charles Ragland Bunnell Figurative Paintings
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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
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Provenance: Estate of Charles Ragland Bunnell
Expedited and international shipping is available - please contact us for a quote.
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Original signed framed mid-century modern abstract painting by Charles Bunnell (1897-1968); painted in oil in tones orange, gray/black and yellow/ivory. Presented in a vintage frame...
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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.








