Teepees at Sunset 1919

This evocative painting, Teepees at Sunset, was made by Maynard Dixon using traditional oil paint on canvas. The way that Dixon has applied the paint is significant; you can see the brushstrokes, the texture of the canvas, and the subtle gradations of color as the light fades. Looking closely at the dwellings, we can see the artist has captured the unique texture and shape of the teepees. These are not merely generic dwellings, but carefully rendered structures, each one made from hides stretched over wooden poles – materials sourced directly from the land and skillfully transformed through indigenous technologies. Dixon’s focus is on the way the light hits the teepees and the surrounding landscape. By emphasizing the materiality of both the painting and the scene it depicts, Dixon underscores the connection between human life and the natural world, inviting us to consider the ways in which materials, making, and context shape our understanding of art.