maynard dixon
"Hopi Ceremonial" 1899
(Sold)
Maxwell Alexander Gallery is proud to present a new arrival by western regionalist and modernist, Maynard Dixon. "Hopi Ceremonial" / "Birth of the Sacred Fire of Walpi" is an illustration published in "The Call" San Francisco Newspaper, 1899, 14-1/4" x 17-1/8" ink wash, gouache, and charcoal on paper.
At the turn of the 20th century, San Francisco was a hotspot for both journalism and illustration, with the city's four major newspapers—the Call, Examiner, Chronicle, and Bulletin—locked in fierce competition. Each paper sought out top talent, including skilled writers and artists. Maynard Dixon contributed extensively to all four publications for nearly ten years. By the late 1890s, he had become one of San Francisco’s most respected illustrators, with his work appearing regularly in the San Francisco Call, especially in 1898 and 1899.
Dixon created his illustrations either at the newspaper’s towering 315-foot steel-framed building at Third and Market Streets or from his studio on Pine Street. His assignments ranged from full-page Sunday features to "morgue detail" reporting, which included covering courtroom scenes, high-society events, boxing matches, and the often violent nightlife of the city’s infamous Barbary Coast district.
He was also tasked with illustrating works by well-known authors like Gertrude Atherton and Rudyard Kipling. One notable piece he created in 1899 for the San Francisco Call was Hopi Ceremonial, a depiction of a sacred ritual of the Hopi people in Arizona. Although Dixon had not visited the Hopi region himself, he likely based the piece on secondhand accounts or published sources. The illustration reflects a new level of artistic maturity, with a well-structured composition that marks a turning point in his career. It also shows his shift from using only crayon or pen and ink to experimenting with painting, in response to the growing trend of color printing in newspapers and magazines.
This painting is available on a first come first served basis.
