Gerald Cassidy Watercolor Painting Titled “Old Woman, Santa Fe 1924”

This intimate watercolor painting, Old Woman, Santa Fe, 1924, offers a rare glimpse into the working process of Gerald Cassidy, one of the most respected American artists of the early 20th century working in the Southwest. Executed with a loose pencil sketch beneath the delicate washes of watercolor, the painting likely began as a direct study from life — perhaps done in front of the subject herself. This approach, seen in many of Cassidy's larger-scale poster works created for the Fred Harvey Company, reveals his comfort with expressive, gestural mark-making that lent itself well to reproduction and design.

The subject, an old woman possibly captured during a quiet morning walk, is shown wrapped in a dark shawl, head covered, gazing outward with a reserved but powerful presence. She is positioned against a gentle hill, where a small grove of trees anchors the background. A bright yellow hue — perhaps chamisa, a flowering shrub common in the Southwest — adds a vibrant touch to the composition, harmonizing with the more subdued tones and drawing the viewer's eye back to the central figure.

Unlike many of Cassidy's watercolors that served as studies for larger works, this piece stands alone. It does not appear to be a preliminary sketch but rather a finished observation, meant to capture a fleeting moment of daily life.

Gerald (Ira Diamond) Cassidy was born in Kentucky, raised in Ohio, and trained at the Institute of Mechanical Arts, the National Academy of Design, and the Art Students League. A serious illness brought him to Albuquerque, where the unique landscape and cultures of the region inspired the direction of his artistic career. After stints in Denver and New York working in commercial art, Cassidy settled in Santa Fe in 1912. There, he became a founding member of the Santa Fe Artist's Colony and produced significant murals and portraits for the Fred Harvey Company, including works still on view at La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe. Today, his paintings are part of notable museum and private collections across the country.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: This Gerald Cassidy Watercolor Painting Titled "Old Woman, Santa Fe 1924" is from a private Colorado collection.

Recommended Reading:

- Samuels' Encyclopedia of Artists of the American West by Peggy and Harold Samuels

- SANTA FE ART COLONY, 1900 - 1942 by Sharyn Rohlfsen Udall

- Visions and Visionaries: The Art and Artists of the Santa Fe Railway by Suzan Campbell

TAGS: Western Art, Joseph Henry Sharp, Walter Ufer, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Gerald Cassidy