Western Art Drawings Western Artists

Original Drawing of Shiprock Monadnock in New Mexico by Hans Paap

Category: Drawings
Origin: Western Artists
Medium: Pen and ink and pencil on paper
Size: 10-¾” Height x 8-¼” Width (paper);
18-⅛” Height x 15-½” Width (frame)
Item # C4778H
Price: $1500

This original pen and ink drawing by Hans Paap offers a striking interpretation of Shiprock, one of the most iconic and sacred landmarks in the American Southwest. Rising from the desert floor in northwestern New Mexico, Shiprock — known to the Navajo as Tsé Bitʼaʼí, or "Rock with Wings" — holds deep spiritual significance as a central figure in Navajo mythology. In this work, Paap captures the dramatic contrast between light and shadow, depicting one face of the massive formation bathed in daylight while the other is cast in deep shadow, emphasizing its monumental presence and symbolic duality.

Executed in a mixture of pencil and richly textured pen and ink on laid paper, the drawing reveals Paap's refined sense of structure and light. His use of hatching and line weight demonstrates a graphic clarity and a reverence for the landscape's natural drama. Though largely known for his paintings, this drawing reflects the same painterly sensibility — translating New Mexico's stark beauty and spiritual resonance into monochrome with subtle depth and intensity.

Hans Paap (1890-1967), born in Hamburg, Germany, found his greatest inspiration in the New Mexican landscape. After arriving in Taos around 1929, Paap became deeply connected to the region's art community and terrain. The rugged land, expansive skies, and Indigenous cultures of the Southwest profoundly shaped his work. While he traveled the globe throughout his life, it was New Mexico that left the most lasting imprint on his artistic legacy.

This rare drawing of Shiprock stands as a quiet yet powerful testament to Paap's connection to the region. Through his skilled hand and thoughtful composition, he honors both the physical majesty and the cultural significance of this sacred peak, offering viewers a moment of stillness and reverence for one of the Southwest's most enduring symbols.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: This Original Drawing of Shiprock Monadnock in New Mexico by Hans Paap is from a private Colorado collection.

Recommended Reading: Artists of 20th-Century New Mexico: The Museum of Fine Arts Collection by Author Unknown

TAGS: Taos Pueblo, Western Art, Hans Paap

Alternate close-up view of a section of this drawing.