Carol Jean

Carol Jean, a 1975 R.C. Gorman oil pastel, captures a seated Navajo woman wrapped in a honey-yellow striped shawl with a vivid emerald-green skirt peeking out beneath. Her bare feet extend from the loose robe, the soft shadowing on her calves and toes showcasing Gorman’s virtuosic draftsmanship. Her downcast face is partially veiled by the shawl, lending the composition a meditative stillness. The cream-colored ground carries subtle pastel brushwork that gives the piece an intimate, drawing-study intimacy. Signed and dated 1975, this work is an exquisite example of Gorman’s mid-1970s pastel mastery. A key acquisition for collectors of vintage Gorman originals, Navajo shawl imagery, and Southwest fine art figure studies.