Guardians in the Willows

Additional Information

Martin Grelle is unquestionably one of the preeminent painters of Native Americans. His dramatic, precise canvases contain a wealth of details arranged in strong compositions. Guardians in the Willows is classic Grelle. In hard, cold blue light that etches shadows in the snow, two warriors stand a chilly watch at the edge of a camp. Their horses, shaggy coated against the season, snuffle frostily—you can see their breath in the air—struggling to stand, and stand in, this weather. Grelle gives us a sense of just how cold it is by making the folds in the blanket coat and blankets seem brittle and stiff. Tough men and tough horses do a very tough job.