Artwork of the Week: August 3
Amidst the tranquil highland scene, a woman nurses the goats around her as they nuzzle each other and wander the field. The luscious meadow behind grows colorful pastel strands of grass, the slanted brush strokes illustrating a breeze passing through the hill, and shrubs leaning towards the left. The woman faces away from the strong sunlight, her shadow creating a stark contrast from the bright and saturated background. The dark hues in her casted shadow add a somber feeling to the painting. We don't fully grasp what she is thinking as we only view her profile, leaving room for viewers to ponder about her.
In 1912 the American Museum of Natural History commissioned Mahonri Young to create Native American dioramas, leading him to study in the Southwest regions. This inspired him to portray indigenous lives throughout his artistic career. Native Americans experienced radical changes in their identity through the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, around the time Young painted Navajo Woman and Herd. As a continuation of guaranteeing equal rights, the act ensured citizenship to all Native Americans in the states. Tensions arose as they were placed between dual identities: legal citizens pressured to integrate into society and sovereign individuals of the indigenous nation. Mahonri Young may have captured this tension in his painting.
