| Date: | undated |
| Medium: | oil on canvas |
| Size: | 30 x 54 in (76 x 137 cm) |
| Inscription: | l/r "F.Schafer" in the artist's block-letter hand |
| Verso: | said to be no inscription; back sealed |
| Provenance: | To private collection, San Francisco, c. 1971; with Carlson Gallery, San Francisco, in 1983. with Butterfield & Butterfield, San Francisco, 16 July 1996; to private collection, northern California. |
| Reproductions: | William K. Dick photo #72 (color, 1971) |
| Citations: | 16 July 1996 sale 6460W list, lot 10168 |
| Site: | Unidentified, but based on the topography as well as similar paintings titled by the artist, it is likely that this painting depicts members of the Modoc tribe in the lava beds of Northern California, in the area currently known as Lava Beds National Monument. |
| Description: | Twelve Indians sit and stand in a pow-wow around their seated chief; another, on a white horse, is just arriving; two more come down a ravine between rocks from the right, while across a wide valley in the distance are seven more riders coming to join the group. The chief is distinguished by a headdress with many feathers; the others have only one or two apiece. The right side of the painting is filled with exotic, brown and grey rock formations. At a great distance a ridge of snow-capped mountains is just visible on the horizon. The sky is light blue with clouds near the horizon. (From the painting, 14 July 1996.) |
| Note: | For similar paintings, see Indians in desert locales. |
| Identification: | Assigned, descriptive title, based partly on the similarity of subject with [Going to the pow-wow. Indian scene, Montana]. The Butterfield & Butterfield auction listing uses the alternate descriptive title and attributes the painting with the phrase "bearing signature F. Schapf". |
| Other title(s): | Indians against desert landscape (Butterfield & Butterfield list) |
![[photo]](../smalls/p/img0072.jpg)