Monument Valley

Born in Sweden, Carl Oscar Borg traveled abroad in 1910 at the urging of his patron, Phoebe Apperson Hearst, to expand his artistic knowledge of the old masters. During his travels, the young artist was exposed to the various cultures of Europe and North Africa and closely studied a diverse array of interaction between people and their lands that would form a foundation for his career. "On canvas Borg sought to embrace the spirit of man and nature living in harmony, a focus he found nonexistent in the works of earlier American artists." (K.P. Hough, Carl Oscar Borg: A Niche in Time, exhibition catalogue, Palm Springs, California, 1990, p. 14) Over the years, Borg immersed himself in the Native American cultures of the Southwest. This influence is not only apparent in the vivid color palette of the present work, but also in the heightened sense of connection between man and his surroundings as a unified subject.