Prairie, Sand Hill Camp, May 1921 1921

Maynard Dixon made Prairie, Sand Hill Camp, May 1921 with a brush heavy with umber and peach oils. Look at how he laid down those thick strokes; you can almost feel the tug of the bristles on the canvas and imagine the push and pull of his arm. What was he thinking when he made this painting? Maybe he was trying to capture the vastness of the prairie, the way the land stretches out forever. The horizon line is so low, almost like he wanted us to feel swallowed up by the space. It's a beautiful image, but I also feel this sense of loneliness. The brushstrokes are so deliberate, and the colors feel so muted. The way those clouds gather, pregnant with colour, reminds me of Van Gogh's churning skies. Painting feels like an ongoing conversation between artists across time. We borrow, steal, and build upon each other's ideas, and I am sure this work will resonate with some future artist.