Maria Elena

Maria Elena, 1990, by R.C. Gorman, presents a woman seated in white wrapping, clutching a hand-thrown pottery vessel of warm ochre and terracotta tones. The figure is rendered in lithograph against a soft blue gradient background that suggests both sky and interior space. Gorman’s careful line work defines the woman’s profile and the pottery’s form, while her visible hands in warm skin tones anchor the composition with tactile presence. The pottery—suggesting Ancestral Puebloan or Southwestern tradition—adds cultural resonance and narrative depth. The overall mood is reverent and tender, celebrating the relationship between woman and craft object. A significant piece for collectors of Gorman’s lithographs, Southwestern cultural art, and contemporary portraiture.