Currently not on view
Cactus Maze,
1951
Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt, 1878–1955; born Tullstorp, Sweden; died Lambertville, NJ
x1984-34
Swedish-born painter and printmaker B. J. O. Nordfeldt, best known for woodcuts printed in the Japanese manner, moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1919. There, he evolved a painting style that combined his dedication to Paul Cézanne with his admiration of the landscape and folk cultures of the Pueblo people. After the artist relocated to Lambertville, New Jersey, in 1937, he frequently returned to villages in Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona, where he produced this watercolor. By the end of his career, Nordfeldt had simplified his compositions to patterns based on natural forms that were inspired by his interest in Pueblo cultures.
Information
Title
Cactus Maze
Dates
1951
Medium
Watercolor and gouache
Dimensions
39.1 x 57.7 cm (15 3/8 x 22 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. B. J. O. Nordfeldt
Object Number
x1984-34
Signatures
Signed and dated in graphite, lower right: Nordfeldt | 51
Inscription
in graphite, bottom right: (Arizona)
Culture
Type
Materials
Subject
- "Acquisitions of the Art Museum 1984," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 44, no. 1 (1985): p. 24-52., p. 26, p. 52 (illus.)
- John Wilmerding et al., American Art in the Princeton University Art Museum: volume 1: drawings and watercolors, (Princeton: Princeton University Art Museum; New Haven, CT; London: Yale University Press, 2004), p. 212, cat. no. 53; p. 213 (illus.); p. 340, checklist no. 861
