A full-blooded Navajo Indian by Birth, R C Gorman has been called the Picasso of the Southwest. His portrayal of Navajo women by use of flowing lines and appealing colors are very recognizable in the art world.

Gorman enjoyed showing the beauty of his people in his art. He especially liked to capture the beauty of the Navajo women as explained in his autobiography.
“Navajos always had respect for strong, powerful women who would go out and chop wood, herd sheep, have babies in the field. My Indian woman isn’t glamorous but she is beautiful. She is earthy, nurturing, and it is a constant challenge to capture her infinite variety.
“I deal with the common woman who smells of the fields and maize. She lives and breathes… . My women work and walk on the land. They need to be strong to survive. They have big hands, strong feet. They are soft and strong like my grandmother who gave me life.
“My women are remote, withdrawn in their silence. They don’t look out, but glance inward in the Indian way. You know their faces, but not a thing about their thoughts. They do not reveal whether they are looking at us or not.
“I like to think that my women represent a universal woman. They don’t have to be from the reservation. They could be from Scottsdale or Africa. They’re composites of many women I’ve known.”