194

Verso:
Signed with title and painting number

Ridge and Rillito, Arizona is number 680 on Maynard Dixon’s master painting list.

According to author and noted Dixon authority Donald J. Hagerty, “This work was painted by Dixon somewhere along the El Rillito, on the northern edge of Tucson and not far from Dixon’s home and studio on Prince Road. The watercourse, usually dry most of the year, has been overtaken by the rapid growth of Tucson since World War II but when Dixon painted this work it was still unmarred by progress. This painting shows that Dixon, although plagued by decreasing health, could continue to paint canvases with that signature trademark of unique spacing, rhythmic pattern, and strong line and color. Dixon eliminated nonessential detail, retaining only the abstract patterns of light and shadow on the sagebrush flat and on the escarpment of the north face of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The distant, lonely and austere Sonoran Desert landscape, empty of any human movement, is captured in this painting. ‘Austerity and clear definition are the dominating character of the arid lands I work in,’ Dixon once stated and this painting validates that statement.”

PROVENANCE:
The Grinstead Family Collection

EXHIBITIONS:
Paintings of the West by Maynard Dixon, Gump’s Galleries, San Francisco, California, September 6 - October 6, 1945

Condition ReportSurface condition very good, original canvas, no restoration.

Important Notice: Statements of condition are provided as a service to potential bidders; such statements are educated opinions and should not be regarded as facts. The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction has no responsibility for any errors or omissions.