Nicolai Fechin is best known for his bold, colorful pictures of the people and places of New Mexico. But, as a new exhibition at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum in Norman, Oklahoma, illuminates, Fechin’s artistic legacy extends far beyond Southwest subject matter. Nicolai Fechin: An Artistic Journey, on view through April 5, 2026, focuses on how a lifetime of travel, as well as his family, friends and training, influenced his work.

“Facing hardships in Russia following the 1917 revolution, Fechin immigrated to the United States relatively late in life, at the age of 42,” explains Jonathan Hacker, curatorial fellow at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum. “This fact is often overlooked, and it is easy to forget that he was already an established artist with a full career before moving first to New York and then to Taos. While Fechin is best known for his works created in Taos, this exhibition explores both the years leading up to and following his arrival there, offering insight into the development of his style.”

Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955), Girl in Purple Dress. Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 in. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma, Norman; Given in memory of Roxanne P. Thams by William H. Thams, 2003.

 

Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955), Portrait of my Father. Oil on canvas, 29 x 25 in. The Eugene B. Adkins Collection at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma and the Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

 

The exhibition features more than 50 artworks that span the entirety of Fechin’s career, many of which have not been widely exhibited. Hacker points to the 1911 oil Portrait of my Father; and Girl in Purple Dress, created between 1926 and 1933, as two of the most significant paintings in the show.

Portrait of my Father was the first work Fechin exhibited in the United States, shown at the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh while he was still living in Russia. “This milestone introduced Fechin to American audiences and patrons, forging connections that later helped facilitate his immigration to the U.S. with his family,” says Hacker.

Girl in Purple Dress, exemplary of Taos’ impact on his compositions and use of color, has become a centerpiece of the museum’s permanent collection. For the first time, this work will be presented alongside two other paintings from the museum’s collection and a related drawing on loan. Hacker says, “Together, they offer an intimate glimpse into Fechin’s ability to reveal the emotional depth and individuality of his sitters. In this case, it’s a young Native girl from Taos Pueblo.”

Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955), Spring in the Steppe, 1913. Oil on canvas, 30 x 26 in. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma, Norman; Purchase, Richard H. and Adeline J. Fleischaker Collection, 1996.

 

Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955), Woman with Cigarette, 1917. Oil on canvas, 30 x 31 in. The Eugene B. Adkins Collection at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma and the Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

 

Still lifes and landscapes do have a presence in the show but the majority of works are portraits of Fechin’s family, friends, acquaintances and people he encountered in his day-to-day life or travels, to emphasize the breadth and depth of the artist’s life journey. Hacker adds, “While the exhibition highlights how the periodic upheaval of Fechin’s life shaped his artistic career, it also offers an intimate glimpse into his connections with those who surrounded him, whose guidance, support and faith in his talent helped shape his work.” —

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