Maynard Dixon (1875 - 1946)

Maynard Dixon

Maynard Dixon was an American painter and illustrator. Dixon became known for his Western landscapes, Native American images, scenes of cowboys and shepherds, and his work during the Great Depression.

Dixon studied in San Francisco and New York, where he worked in magazine illustration. He also traveled throughout Europe, where he found inspiration in the work of Renaissance artists and the Impressionists. Upon his return to the United States, however, he began to pursue the genre of Western painting, which became his main passion. One of Dixon's most famous series of works is The Myth of the West, in which he depicted the Western landscape and cowboys using bright colors and geometric shapes. His work was popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and he was often invited to exhibit his work in museums and galleries.

In addition, Dixon also worked as an artist-designer for film studios, creating sets and costumes for Westerners. His work has been used in such famous films as Mutiny on the Bounty, The Sheriff, and Mighty Joe Yankee. Maynard Dixon's work is in the collections of many museums, including the National Museum of Western Painting in Oklahoma City and the Fenimore Cooper Museum in New York City.