María Tomé

ClassificationsPaintings-oils

Date1929

Made AtCosta Mesa, California, United States, North America

MediumOil on fiberboard

Dimensions23 1/2 × 18 1/8 × 1 1/4 in. (59.7 × 46 × 3.2 cm)

Credit LineGift of Carl Spencer

Object number1627

DescriptionFanny Bixby Spencer rejected the life of privilege her upbringing offered, petitioning Long Beach Police Department to make her the first female officer to handle cases involving women and children. Her years in law enforcement revealed a harsh underside of the Californian Dream, from which painting was a refuge. Spencer’s interest in depicting marginalized communities parallels much of her philanthropic work. She reportedly paid María Tomé, an Apache woman living on a Costa Mesa ranch, the then-extraordinary sum of $200 to sit for this portrait.

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