Mesas in Shadow

Description

Maynard Dixon, 1926

Maynard Dixon painted a vast sweep of mesas, sagebrush, and cumulus clouds in this portrayal of unspoiled desert in the American West. While Dixon claimed to be a realist, his painting is a representation of abstract shapes. He mediates the landscape, abstracting forms and colors from nature. Both ends of the composition are open, suggesting a never-ending landscape with unlimited possibilities and resources.