An active and outspoken, sometimes a cantankerous, participant in the life of San Francisco and the West, painter Maynard Dixon (1875-1946) developed enduring themes: the majestic western landscape, the mysticism of the Native American, and (briefly, during the Great Depression) people caught in the grip of economic and social hardship. Profusely illustrated with numerous new images of paintings and other artwork, this book traces the emergence of Dixon as a transitional figure in the art history of America. Poems, letters, and essays written by Dixon support his responses to the dynamic changes in American art from the early decades of the twentieth century.

Introduction. Finding a place -- Foundations : from illustrator to painter -- Inhabiting space : people of the West -- Seeking truth : the dance between modernism and realism -- Cloud worlds : landscapes of the West -- The depression years : hard times and new images -- 6 final years : reflection and repose.