Lara’s Shawl

Lara’s Shawl, 1968, by R.C. Gorman is an elegantly minimalist composition featuring a woman in profile wearing a striking striped shawl rendered in cream, tan, and pale green tones with black outline detailing. She wears her dark hair in a traditional bun, and a soft peachy-pink skirt drapes beneath the geometric shawl pattern. Gorman’s mixed-media technique employing watercolor, pastel, and ink creates refined subtlety and delicate texture. The work’s economy of line and restrained palette demonstrate Gorman’s sophisticated modernist sensibility applied to portraiture. A significant early work for collectors seeking foundational Gorman pieces, minimalist approaches to figurative art, and exemplary 1960s Native American contemporary practice.