The Luminous Legacy of Frank Applegate In the golden, sun-drenched history of the American Southwest, few figures capture the ephemeral beauty of the New Mexico landscape as poignantly as Frank Applegate. A true pioneer of Southwestern watercolor, Applegate possessed a rare ability to translate the profound spiritual energy of Native American ceremonies and the rugged, arid majesty of the desert into vibrant, breathing compositions. While his name may not always command the immediate recognition of the most famous titans of the era, his presence was foundational to the artistic identity of S…