Dance in a Subterranean Roundhouse at Clear Lake, California

Banker Tiburcio Parrott commissioned this Elem Pomo ceremony after witnessing it in 1876. Nearly one hundred figures occupy the roundhouse. Parrott also operated a mercury mine on ancestral Pomo land, complicating any claim that the painting is a neutral record of custom.

Two dancers face one another in the lit centre. Their actions establish the arrangement of the surrounding community.

Standing participants form a ring. The ceremony’s space is organised through collective presence.

Seated spectators fill the foreground. The painting’s viewer is placed close to those watching the ceremony.

A large wooden post supports the room near the centre-right. Its structure explains the underground roundhouse’s construction.

Light enters through a roof opening. The restricted source controls the visibility of the many figures.

A small bright entrance appears behind the standing figures. It connects the enclosed ceremonial room with the outside.

Tavernier illustrated the American West and settled in San Francisco. The commission requires attention to a banker exploiting Pomo land for mercury mining. Ceremony, representation and economic power involve different participants here.