51

VERSO
Signed, titled, dated, and “#328”
Artist label
Label, J. N. Bartfield Galleries, New York, New York

An original bill of sale from J. N. Bartfield Galleries will accompany the lot.

According to Dixon biographer Donald J. Hagerty, “During the late summer of 1927, Maynard Dixon headed for Nevada’s northwest corner, initially planning only a two-week excursion. The trip turned into four extremely productive months. Traveling from San Francisco to Winnemucca, Dixon met up with Frank Tobin, the son of stockman Clement Tobin. Mostly on horseback, they headed north in Nevada’s Humboldt County where they pitched their tents in aspen groves and on remote cattle ranches. Along the way, Dixon wrote letters and composed poetry by the light of a kerosene lantern or flickering campfire.

“When Dixon and Tobin reached Denio, near the Oregon border, they explored the opal mining operations near Thousand Creek Valley, and visited the remote areas of Virgin Valley, Rainbow Ridge, and the Pueblo Mountains before heading south along the western edge of the Pine Forest Range. They stayed for several weeks at the Alder Creek Ranch, forty miles north of the Black Rock Desert.

“Dixon produced fifty-six oil paintings and numerous drawings during his four-month stay in Nevada. In these paintings, he began to experiment with slightly distorted and tightly framed compositions that emphasized the geometric forms of desert rocks, grassy meadows, and illuminated mountain ranges.”

PROVENANCE
J. N. Bartfield Galleries, New York, New York, 2006
Robert D. Reed Collection, Jacksonville, Florida

Condition ReportSurface is in good condition. Faint diagonal crease in upper-left corner, near edge of frame. Faint vertical crease in the center of the painting, with corresponding inpainting. Scattered inpainting around edges of frame and in white of hillside on left side.

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.