Dorothy Brett

Born in London to a wealthy, royal-connected family, Dorothy Brett grew up in Queen Victoria’s court, where she took dance lessons with the Queen’s grandchildren. At age five, she saw Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and decided to become an artist, defying her parents’ social expectations. She enrolled in the Slade School of Art in 1910 and graduated six years later, also attending University College.

Brett began painting portraits of notable figures, including novelist D.H. Lawrence. In 1924, she visited Taos, New Mexico, with Lawrence and his wife. What was meant to be a short trip became a permanent move, and she became a U.S. citizen in 1938. Initially hesitant about painting Native American subjects, she eventually depicted Indian life, beginning with a rabbit hunt. Known as one of Taos’ “Three Fates” alongside Mabel Dodge Luhan and Frieda Lawrence, she developed a romanticized, primitive style of painting.