Born to a noble London family, painter Dorothy Brett was raised in the court of Queen Victoria, where she was a playmate of the Queen’s grandchildren. In 1924, in spite of her family’s disapproval, Brett followed D. H. Lawrence to New Mexico to found a utopian community; the community never materialized, but Brett stayed permanently in the region, and eventually became a United States citizen. Profoundly affected by the southwestern landscape, Dorothy Brett, who was called simply Brett by her friends, is best known for her Ceremonials, paintings of Native American dances and rituals.