Maynard Dixon (American, 1875–1946)
Navajo Wagon, 1904
Graphite on paper
Signed lower right
Image: 6 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.
Frame: 11 5/8 x 15 in.
This intimate graphite sketch by Maynard Dixon depicts a covered Navajo wagon paused along a rocky trail. With confident, economical strokes, Dixon conveys the quiet strength of the draft animals and the enduring rhythm of life in the American Southwest. The drawing’s rearward viewpoint creates a sense of movement and distance, emblematic of Dixon’s ongoing exploration of western themes and Indigenous presence.
Executed in 1904, this drawing reflects Dixon’s early fieldwork documenting Native American cultures, which deeply influenced his later work as a leading interpreter of the West. A tireless traveler, Dixon often sketched on-site, capturing the authentic details and human dignity of the people and landscapes he encountered.
