Lot Essay
In 1916 the Santa Fe Railroad commissioned Edgar Payne to paint the Southwest in order to promote tourism in the region. This introduction to New Mexico and Arizona had a tremendous impact on the artist, who found inspiration in both the landscape and the people of the Southwest.
Riding Near Canyon de Chelly most likely depicts the Navajo or Hopi Indians in Northeastern Arizona. The desert canyon, part of a larger canyon with sandstone cliffs and prehistoric cliff dwellings, stretches more than fifty miles wide. Payne was often awed by nature, and Canyon de Chelly was one of the artist's most recognizable subjects.
Riding Near Canyon de Chelly most likely depicts the Navajo or Hopi Indians in Northeastern Arizona. The desert canyon, part of a larger canyon with sandstone cliffs and prehistoric cliff dwellings, stretches more than fifty miles wide. Payne was often awed by nature, and Canyon de Chelly was one of the artist's most recognizable subjects.