Maria Paloma

Maria Paloma, 1993, by R.C. Gorman, depicts a kneeling Navajo woman wrapped in a flowing blanket patterned in warm salmon, coral, and burgundy tones against a radiant gradient sky transitioning from peachy-golden to soft pink and coral. The woman gazes downward with serene composure, her turquoise jewelry gleaming at her neck. At her feet, two white doves perch and gaze upward in mirror symmetry, their pure white forms creating spiritual contrast and suggesting peace, love, or blessing. Gorman employs the lithograph medium to render soft atmospheric effects and luminous color. The composition fuses portraiture, landscape, symbolism, and cultural identity into a poetic whole. An extraordinary work for collectors of Gorman’s masterpieces, narrative imagery, and Southwestern art.