New Mexico: Ildefonso

Max Pollak

Max Pollak traveled to New Mexico around 1940 where he did this image of the San Ildefonso Pueblo, the home of the famed Native American potter Maria Martinez. Rather than focusing on the church he chose the pueblo itself, the ancient kivas and adobe structures that still define the daily existence of the current approximately 460 residents. This impression, which is from the collection of the artist's widow, Friedl Pollak. It has a small 1/16" circular hole within the composition in the left sky, the result of the loss of a small piece of metal that was in the paper. This repairable flaw is reflected in the price

He outlined the composition with black drypoint lines and added just touches of color to the windows and mountains around the Black Mesa in the background. The San Ildefonso Pueblo people call their home "Po-Woh-Geh-Owingeh", which means “Where the water cuts through”. It was built around 1300 and has been occupied ever since.

The people of the San Ildefonso Pueblo speak the Tewa language. The pueblo is located at the foot of Black Mesa, about 24 miles north of Santa Fe, the pueblo is characterized by its adobe buildings, ceremonial kivas, a central plaza, and a replica of the mission period church. Today it is primarily a community of artisans.