Ernest Martin Hennings demonstrated artistic promise at an early age, and was encouraged by his teachers and his mother. He graduated with honors from the Art Institute of Chicago in June 1904. He was awarded an "American Traveling Scholarship" in June 1906 "as a prize for excellence in drawing, painting, and composition," but this he declined as he wanted to begin a career as a commercial artist. By 1912 he was becoming somewhat bored with commercial art and began thinking about devoting himself to more serious original work. He entered the Prix de Rome for that year, earning a close second place to Eugene Savage. Immediately after this, Hennings began preparations to travel to Munich to study at the Royal Academy with Walter Thor, Angelo Jank, and Franz von Stuck. It was at the American Artists Club where he met Walter Ufer and Victor Higgins, with whom he would remain lifelong friends. Hennings' work eventually came to the attention of Carter H. Harrison, the former mayor of Chicago. Harrison, a patron of the arts and a sportsman, had hunted in the Taos area and consequently was acquainted with the land and the young art colony. Harrison brought Hennings to the attention of a Chicago group that encouraged promising young artists. They suggested he move to Taos and after showing Hennings pictures of New Mexico, they apparently had little difficulty convincing the artist to make the journey. Hennings set up his studio in Taos and began painting some of his most successful canvases. During this time he was awarded many major prizes and won national recognition. Those who knew E. Martin Hennings say that his works are a reflection of his life and personality . . . calm, peaceful, and well ordered. His paintings are a visual presentation of the mystique of northern New Mexico . . . of Taos, it's diversity of peoples, and the fascinating history of the early days of the art colony. In many of his paintings, Hennings has made time stand still for us, and enabled us to see and understand what inspired and motivated him more than fifty years ago.