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Near Chama No. 2, New Mexico
(18th and 19th Centuries )
In 1969, then Federal Government's Bureau of Reclamation employed artists to portray its reclamation of "the arid West" through water management. In addition to Herman Maril, other well-known artists were selected including Norman Rockwell and Richard Diebenkorn. Each painter was provided with transportation to the various sites and was permitted to choose any subject provided that it could be related to the Bureau's mission.
Herman Maril chose a site in New Mexico where the Willow Creek confluences with the Chama River. The river flows through a variously colored sandstone canyon which descends at points to 1,500 feet.
The artist suggests the grandeur of the scene through the unusual scale of his canvas and by his use of large patterns of colors.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Mr. and Mrs. Jules Horelick, Baltimore, Maryland [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1974, by gift.
Exhibitions
| 2009 | Herman Maril: An American Modernist. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 6/24/2008 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 7/15/2008 | Treatment | cleaned; loss compensation; other |
Geographies
USA (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Overall: H: 74 × W: 49 3/4 in. (188 × 126.4 cm)
Framed: H: 74 × W: 49 3/4 × D: 1 5/8 in. (188 × 126.4 × 4.2 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jules Horelick, 1974
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.2514