Contemplation

Contemplation, a 1971 R.C. Gorman lithograph, is an early loose line study of a seated nude Navajo woman, her head tilted back and long dark hair cascading behind her as her hands rest lightly on a raised knee. Printed in black ink on a warm ivory field, the composition relies on Gorman’s confident contour drawing and a dense cross-hatched shadow that frames her head and back, giving the otherwise minimal figure a strong graphic presence. The uncolored drapery is rendered in delicate line alone, letting the viewer read volume without color. An important early example of Gorman’s figurative draftsmanship and a must-have acquisition for collectors of Gorman lithographs, Southwest fine art, and Native American figurative prints.