Maynard Dixon

Maynard Dixon was an American painter known for bold, simplified images of the western landscape. Born in California in 1875, he developed a strong, graphic style with clean shapes, dramatic skies, and rich color, capturing the deserts, mesas, and wide spaces of the American Southwest. His work often carries a spare, almost modern sense of design.

He worked as an illustrator early on but grew to dislike commercial work, preferring to paint the land and peoples of the West on his own terms, including thoughtful images of Native American life. He was married for a time to the famous Depression-era photographer Dorothea Lange. Dixon's powerful, uncluttered visions of the West have made him a favorite among collectors of western American art.