Maynard Dixon

Lafayette Maynard Dixon was born in 1875 in Fresno, California. He began drawing at age seven and was encouraged by his mother and grandfather to develop his talent. Growing up on his grandfather’s ranch, Maynard had plenty of subject matter for his art. When Maynard was sixteen, his father died and the family soon moved to Alameda, California. Maynard enrolled in the San Francisco School of Design across the bay to study under Arthur Mathews. His time at the school was brief. Accustomed to working from life, Maynard felt stifled in the classroom working from castes. After a few months, he quit school.

Maynard became acquainted with Raymond Yelland who helped him with oils and watercolors. Maynard acknowledged Yelland as the only worthwhile professional help he received as an artist.

In 1893, Maynard made many sketching trips throughout California and moved to San Francisco to pursue a career in illustration. He began working for the Overland Monthly and the Morning Call. It was in the pages of these magazines where Maynard sharpened his picture-making skills. In 1899, he accepted the position of Art Director for William Randolph Hearst’s San Francisco Examiner. In 1900, Maynard began to feel the strain of constant deadlines. As a result, he began taking painting trips to other western states. His travels throughout the Southwest solidified his connection to the Native American culture that had intrigued him his entire life. It was during this time he adopted the symbol of the Thunderbird---replacing his signature with this icon.

In 1905, he married Lillian West. They had one child. Displaced by the great earthquake and fire of 1906, Maynard lost almost everything he owned. He headed to New York with his family to work for Harpers Magazine and other national publications. New York City was not for him. He returned to San Francisco in 1912.

Maynard gave up illustration to pursue easel painting and mural work. He divorced his first wife in 1920 and married Dorothea Lange, a famous photographer. They had two children. When the depression hit in 1929, Maynard painted murals for the WPA. In 1935, he divorced again and married artist, Edith Hamlin.

Maynard had always suffered from asthma and rheumatism. As his health deteriorated, he moved to Tucson, Arizona to alleviate his symptoms. He and his new wife split their time between Tucson and Mount Carmel, Utah. Maynard Dixon died in Tucson in 1946 at the age of 71.

His home and studio in Mount Carmel is now part of the Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts. The goal of the Foundation is to preserve Maynard Dixon’s estate and his contribution to American art.

www.maynarddixon.com