We Trust in the Loyalty of Old Friends
The "We Trust in the Loyalty of Old Friends" series of panels stands six (6) feet high and is twenty-four (24) feet long. The paintings show a vast panorama of New Mexico, Eastern Arizona, and the Rocky Mountains in South Colorado. This series preserves important historical references because it interpretatively records the landscape of the American Southwest at the present time. A brief narrative of the scene is presented below to guide the viewer through this amazing landscape.
Client
Santa Fe Regional Airport
Year:
1979 - 1982
1) The middle panel shows the Rio Grande River, winding its way down from the high peaks of Colorado in the far distance. The Rio Grande Valley follows the river from Taos down through the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains where Santa Fe is located. The river widens as it passes through the center of Albuquerque, providing water for the agriculture of the area. This panel provides the viewer with a distinctive tour of the business district. Public utilities, banks, and government buildings are identifiable. The university area, shopping centers, and major industrial complexes are highlights of the cityscape. The Rio Grande River winds through the city and heads for Texas.Notice the world's longest tramway, which climbs the Sandia Mountains on the right side of the city. There are also many colorful hot air balloons in the sky, participating in the annual International Balloon Fiesta. In the bottom left corner is the Acoma pueblo, "The Sky City", built on top of a mesa. This Indian tribe is well known for the beautiful pottery made from the colored desert soil.
2) The right panel of the poster, which only contains half of the original piece on display at the Capitol, depicts the Sangre de Cristo mountains as they slope down to meet the edge of the great plains that extend east to Kansas where the Old Santa Fe Trail originates. The city of Las Vegas, New Mexico is near the horizon of this panel. Interstate Highway 25 travels past the eastern slopes towards Denver. The bottom left of this panel is the continuation of Albuquerque. One can see the airport and the adjacent Kirtland Air Force Base, home of the Strategic Air Command.
3) The left panel depicts the continuation of Sky City and further west to Fort Wingate, a storage facility for nuclear bombs. In the middle ground, there are oil and gas refineries process one of New Mexico’s most valuable natural resources: oil and gas. Snow capped Mount Tayler, sacred home to the Laguna tribe , looms above the small town of Grants, New Mexico. Coal deposits from the Navajo Nation feed the Four Corners Power plant, whose smoke is one of the few man made objects visible to astronauts while in orbit.
The Style
The "We Trust in the Loyalty of Old Friends" series is painted using egg tempera, a challenging medium requiring patience, discipline, and mastery. Few contemporary artists work with this technique which involves layering approximately 20 thin, translucent strokes over every square inch to achieve its characteristic luminosity and atmospheric depth. The six (6) panels are each four (4) feet wide and six (6)feet high for a combined surface area of 20,736 square inches. This series took three (3) years to complete.
The painting is executed in a traditional style, inspired by Flemish allegorist Pieter Brueghel’s bird’s-eye perspective. It combines Impressionist color techniques and expressive brushwork, somewhat reminiscent of Vincent Van Gogh. The composition blends panoramic landscapes with intricate details of city and rural life.
Egg tempera, a technique and materials dating back to the early Middle Ages, uses egg yolk as a binder mixed with powdered minerals for long-lasting color. The panels are prepared with multiple coats of gesso (rabbit skin glue and whiting or precipitated chalk, creating a smooth, highly absorbent surface. When properly applied, egg tempera produces a delicate, layered effect, described by one of Rob’s mentors, Arthur DeCosta, as “like looking through many veils of colored gauze.” Though largely replaced by oil painting in the 16th century, egg tempera was used by the artist due to its durability on rigid surfaces like wood panels.
We Trust in the Loyalty of Old Friends
New Mexico State Capital Building
490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501
On view at the New Mexico state capital building, We Trust in the Loyalty of Old Friends is a large-scale landscape painting that weaves together New Mexico’s past, present, and future. Featuring iconic landmarks both real and imagined, the piece invites viewers to consider their place within this layered desert expanse—where history, memory, and possibility converge.
Installed in the rotunda, the work welcomes travelers with a moment of stillness and connection. Whether you’re returning home or seeing the high desert for the first time, it offers a quiet homage to the enduring spirit of this place and those who’ve moved through it.
Viewable in the rotunda during the week from 7:30am - 5:30pm.
Posters Available
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36” x 24” Poster Printed on premium heavyweight paper with fade-resistant inks.
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Ready to Ship within a week. Delivered between 5-7 days.