Diana’s Throne

Description

Diana’s Throne

Maynard Dixon, 1934

In the summer of 1900, Maynard Dixon journeyed into the Southwest from his native California, traveling “Eastward to see the West.” It was the first of many trips he would make during his lifetime to sketch and paint in the often remote western regions of the country. In the dramatic scenery and profound silences of what he called “my western world,” Dixon found what he referred to on numerous occasions as “the Real Thing.” (Excerpt taken from Escape to Reality: The Western World of Maynard Dixon)

Dixon made his first trip to Utah in 1933, exploring Zion National Park and its environs with his wife, Dorothea Lange, and their two young sons, Daniel and John. This is one of more than forty canvases he painted in the two months he traveled the region.

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What’s Going On?

The foreground of the image is flat land that ends at the base of foothills. There’s a house and an outbuilding surrounded by trees stand on the right.  Three trees can be seen separately on the left.  The foothills are dotted with scrub or small trees.  Behind the foothills a large mountainous bluff appears.  The sky is dark, and the clouds seem heavy with rain.

More About Dixon

Originally from California, Dixon painted subjects in both Arizona and New Mexico. He eventually settled in Southern Utah. There he developed his signature style of unique compositions. They often featured low horizons and simplified, yet imposing clouds and rock formations in bold colors.

Dixon also focused on preserving the image of Native American peoples whom he believed were disappearing from the American West. While married to the famous photographer Dorothea Lange, Dixon also focused on social realist subjects. These depicted people struggling to make a living during the Great Depression.