Sleepy Afternoon

Ted Hawkins

Wichita-based regionalist and Modernist Ted Hawkins was known for his imagery of the prairie and southwest, and was a member of the Prairie Print Makers. Like fellow printmaker Charles Capps, his work often focused on the moody weather and striking geological features of the open-sky country of Oklahoma, Kansas, and New Mexico.

“Sleepy Afternoon” was the presentation print of the PPM’s 1951 by-subscription publication. In this image, a cart is abandoned in the middle of a pueblo, suggesting that the owner has gone inside to avoid the hottest part of the day. Strong chiaroscuro, combined with the use of velvety aquatint, creates the atmospheric depth and drama of an ever-changing sky, suggesting an approaching rainstorm or simply the presence of the southwest’s famous tempestuous summer clouds.