Mesa Redonia

Mesa Redonia by Edgar Alwin Payne is an oil painting measuring two feet wide and nearly two feet tall. The southwestern landscape captures the fleeting moments of sunrise or sunset reflecting on sandstone and red rock cliffs.

In his how-to book Composition of Outdoor Painting (1941), Payne described his lofty aim to share the “spiritual flow which encircles animate and inanimate nature—the rhythm of life and the universe” in his paintings. Mesa Redonia (the title appears to be a misnomer for an unidentified landmark) is a prime example of his use of brushstroke, color, and lighting to create atmospheric and mood effects and evoke a sense of awe and wonder. For more about this painting style and the history of this painting, read the “About this Artwork” section above.

The lower third of the painting features a shadowed, expansive plain, painted in long strokes of muted, dark greens and browns, suggesting early morning or evening light. Across the distant horizon stands the central focus of the composition—a majestic row of rock formations of varying heights, extending across the entire width of the canvas. The vertical sides and flat summits of these monumental mesas are formed from slab-like brushstrokes that create an irregularly patterned patchwork quilt of square and rectangular color blocks. The sunlight striking the mesas paints their lower sections in rich, glowing hues of reddish-orange, transitioning into softer tan and cream tones near their tops.

Above the mesas, the painting transitions into a vast sky filling the upper two-thirds. Soft blues blend with flowing, wind-swept clouds that appear to be moving across the canvas. The artist’s brushstrokes are still visible but are more subtle than with the land and rocks. The clouds, large yet delicate, are touched by a soft pink tint, reflecting the light of the low sun. The largest cloud on the left stretches beyond the edge of the painting, evoking a sense of boundless space. The interplay of light, color, and texture creates a serene yet dramatic atmosphere, immersing the viewer in the grandeur of the landscape.