Maynard Dixon (1875- 1946),
Christmas Eve Procession, Taos New Mexico, 1931, oil on canvasboard, 15 15/16 x 19 ¾ inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, 1937.
Maynard Dixon lived in the artist colony of Taos, New Mexico and was witness to a traditional Christmas celebration that suggests a blend Christian customs and Native American ritual. In this nocturnal scene, Christmas Eve worshippers silhouetted by the bright light of the bonfire parade through the moonlit snow obstructing our view of the ceremony. From our distant view, however, we can imagine the soft sound of footfalls in the snow and the intertwining blend of hymns sung in English and Spanish as the Pueblo People reverently carry a statue of the Virgin Mary through the village plaza.