Fritz Scholder (Arizona / New Mexico, 1937-2005), "Portrait of a Dream", artist-pulled serigraph, signed and numbered at lower edge in pencil, ed. 51/120, with Martin Lawrence Gallery label on the verso

sheet: 30 x 22 in., frame: 38 x 30.5 in.

Provenance: Property from a home in San Antonio, Texas

Fritz Scholder, born in Breckenridge, Minnesota, was a prominent Arizona-based artist known for his powerful Indian portraits and genre paintings that explored both appreciation and critique of Native American life. He studied at the University of Kansas, Wisconsin State University, Sacramento College under Wayne Thiebaud, and earned his MFA from the University of Arizona. Scholder’s work, influenced by Francis Bacon, is marked by swift brushwork, surreal tones, and ironic distortions, often depicting the harsh realities and dark humor of Native American experiences. Beyond painting, his diverse art included etchings, lithographs, and sculpture. Scholder’s deeply autobiographical and intellectually curious approach to themes of death and identity made him a significant figure in contemporary Native American art until his death in 2005.