Chasing Santa Fe: CASA BAKOS - ATWOOD - A TREASURED ARTIST HOME

1891 - 1977

Jozef Bakos - Self Portrait

Gerald Peters Gallery - Santa Fe

Legendary Santa Fe Artist Jozef Bakos was born in Buffalo, NY in 1891 and moved to Santa Fe, NM in 1920. A year later he and four other artists - Walter Mruk, Will Schuster, Fremont Ellis, and Willard Nash - created a unique art association - LOS CINCO PINTORES. The five artists, who would become Santa Fe legends, were devoted to modernism and in creating art for the society as a whole, not just for collectors. They held their first exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art, Santa Fe on December 21, 1921.

The artists created a compound of simple adobe homes- which they built themselves - along Camino del Monte Sol. Bakos and his wife, Teresa (the former Italian Countess Di Locci Di Lanti, a painter and concert pianist -

Teresa Bakos Paiting

lived in their charming house until 1960; adding on to the original four rooms, creating a studio upstairs and a great room that now opens onto a wonderful patio. They created an inviting house that was perfect for entertaining and evening salons, which they hosted for many, many years.

The current owner, Lynda Atwood, invited me to take a tour of this expansive and charming house, that still holds treasures created by Bakos - frescoes, carved doors and lintels, a large bas relief in the former dining room - all lovingly kept intact by Lynda and previous owners who clearly treasured the home and its place in Santa Fe's rich artistic heritage.

Lynda in the entry portal admiring one of Bakos handsome frescoes.

To make ends meet, Bakos used his carpentry and wood-carving skills to make handmade furniture and carved doors and lintels. His large commissions, such as one for La Fonda, helped sustain him.

Lynda purchased Casa Bakos in 2014, and she says it was love at first sight. "This was one of the first houses that I looked at, and when I stepped through the front door it just had a spirit that grabbed my heart. It made me feel warm and happy and took me back to a different time. It was magical!"

T H E B A K O S/A T W O OD H O M E

I first met Lynda when she invited me to one of her amazing themed parties. The house was made for entertaining - it flows beautifully and can accommodate a lively crowd of friends that eventually spill down the stairs into a great room and out onto the inviting patio. The Bakos entertained constantly and I loved that Lynda was carrying on this tradition...

Visual snippets of the rest of the home...

B A K O S S T U D I O

Just off Lynda's dining room - the former Bakos living room - is a beautiful stairway leading to the artist's original studio - now Lynda's work space.

Lynda's work mate - Lilly Francis.

S H A R I N G B A K O S

While Lynda loves entertaining friends and sharing the delightful Bakos legend, she wanted to share his renderings with a larger audience. So, she began creating lovely note cards, scarves, wall paper, embroidered table linens, and prints all fashioned from the Bakos artwork in her home.