Martin Bowden

Martin Bowden (September 22, 1884 – July 29, 1958) was an American artist known for his large-scale carvings and paintings along the walls of Purgatoire Canyon near Trinidad, Colorado. Bowden left school when he was 14 and started working in the coal mines, later working as a cowboy and homesteading before he began making art on the walls of Purgatory Canyon over the course of 40 years. The canyon came to be known as Painted Canyon.

Legacy

Interest in Bowden's work increased during the mid-2020s following renewed historical research and documentation efforts led by independent researcher Alanna Blu. In June 2026, rock art researcher Peter Faris revisited his earlier 2015 study of Bowden, writing that the project had expanded from a "small grassroots effort" into a broader preservation initiative involving archaeologists, preservation organizations, and public outreach. Faris also noted that the effort had resulted in substantially expanded photographic documentation of Bowden's paintings and expressed support for preserving the site and its historical record.

The renewed attention included a public-interest television feature by KOAA News 5, outreach from SPACES (Saving and Preserving Arts and Cultural Environments), and work toward documenting the site for long-term preservation. Reference

Faris, Peter. The Martin Bowdin Gallery in the Purgatory Revisited. Rock Art Blog. June 13, 2026.

Early life Bowden was born on September 22, 1884, in Rive-de-Gier, near Lyon, France, to parents of Italian origin. The family's original surname was Baudino, The family emigrated when Bowden was young and settled in Las Animas County, Colorado.

Bowden's father was a coal miner and died in an accident in 1889, when he was almost 5. His mother was left widowed with two young children, Bowden and his younger brother.

Career Martin Bowden left school when he was 14 Conditions in the area were difficult, and Bowden eventually abandoned farming.

Around this time, he created what is now known as "The Bowden Trail" a series of large-scale carvings and paintings along the walls of Purgatory Canyon. His work consisted primarily of life-sized

In 1972, artist Patricia Jozwaikowski tried to save Bowden's work from erosion, twice writing Colorado's governor. She also composed an original poem about the artist.