Maynard Dixon, Attributed/Manner of: Desert...

Mesa Landscape with Cattle. Maynard Dixon (American, 1875–1946)

Striking Southwestern landscape depicting a broad desert plain beneath a brilliant turquoise-blue sky, with monumental red and violet mesas rising dramatically across the distant horizon. A small watering pool occupies the foreground, while a dispersed group of cattle introduces a quiet narrative element and an expansive sense of scale.

The composition is distinguished by its simplified geological forms, strong horizontal structure, and bold contrasts between sunlit orange-red rock faces and deep blue-violet shadows. Broad areas of ochre, sienna, muted green, and turquoise create an atmospheric vision of the American Southwest, emphasizing the vastness, silence, and powerful geometry of the desert landscape.

Executed in oil on board. Signed “Maynard Dixon” at the lower right, with additional inscription beneath the signature that appears to reference Arizona. Presented in a substantial period-style gilt wood frame with stepped molding and intentionally distressed surface.

The reverse is fitted with a protective backing board and hanging wire; no additional labels or inscriptions are visible in the photographs provided.

A highly decorative Western landscape whose panoramic composition, saturated desert palette, monumental mesas, and restrained human presence capture the visual drama traditionally associated with early twentieth-century Southwestern painting.

DIMENSIONS
Unframed: 11 3/4 x 15 7/8 in.
Framed: 18 x 21 3/4 in.

PROVENANCE
Private collection.