New Mexico Sunset (a letter to Frédéric Rossif)
Artist
Niki de Saint-Phalle
(French, 1930 - 2002)
Dateca. 1975-1976
MediumInk, felt tip pen, and colored pencil on paper
DimensionsSupport: 9 7/8 × 14 1/8 in. (25.1 × 35.9 cm)
ClassificationsDrawing
Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds from the Herzstein Family Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2025
Object number2025.16.1
DescriptionA double-sided letter with hand-written text in ink, in curving lines, with colorful illustrations of snakes, a scorpion, cactus, and the ‘New Mexican sunset.’eMuseum Notes
In 1975 or 1976, French artist Niki de Saint-Phalle sent this letter to the filmmaker Frédéric Rossif, during a visit to Santa Fe. In it, she mentions her preparatory work on her Tarot Garden project in Tuscany, Italy, the foundations for which were laid in 1978. The letter is ‘illuminated’ with colorful drawings of recurring motifs that appear in her work, such as snakes and scorpions, as well as depictions of the New Mexico landscape.
On View
Not on viewCollections
