Santo Domingo

Gustave Baumann

Santo Domingo was one of twelve color woodcuts that Baumann produced for his New Mexico Portfolio. Early impressions such as this were printed in 1924 and bear a solid interior border and a cursive title, and are numbered from a projected edition of 100. Baumann completed about a quarter of the edition and did not reprint his blocks until 1931. At the time of printing, Baumann was still experimenting with the color for his Hand-in-Heart chop; here is it green but he later opted to impress his chop in orange.

Baumann attended many of the pueblo dances. After attending the Corn Dance at San Domingo Pueblo, Baumann wrote this to Jane Henderson, his future wife: I was certainly wishing you down at Domingo Wednesday last to see and feel its Corn Dance. Strange how one can see it again and again and get a thrill out of it. We waited until the last Dance when both Kivas are on together—then I visited my old friend Diego Lobato. He is head Koshare but has been ill for over a year. It was rather touching, when I left he gave me a ring.