Painting of Cochiti Pueblo Corn Dance by Ben Quintana [SOLD]

Ben Quintana was an outstanding artist and had a brilliant future in the art field. At the age of 15, Quintana won first prize over 80 contestants, of whom 7 were Indians, for a poster to be used in the Coronado Cuarto Centennial celebration. Later, he won first prize and $1000 in an American Magazine contest in which there were 52,587 entries. As testimony to his interest, he used the prize money to further his art education.

It was a real tragedy that Quintana lost his life during World War II at only the age of 21 years. He was awarded the Silver Star posthumously for gallantry in action. We would have seen some marvelous work from this young man had he lived to produce it.

Clara Lee Tanner, in her book, said of him: "This sensitive artist neglected no small detail in his painting. Colors employed by (him) are soft and pleasing throughout, and his treatment is direct and honest...Cochiti's greatest contributions, in the field of Southwestern Indian art have certainly come through Tonita Peña and her son, J. H. Herrera. Both have done important work in carrying on the traditional pueblo style of presentation....Had Ben Quintana lived, unquestionably, he would have equaled these two."

This painting of three participants in the pueblo Corn Dance is testimony to his brilliant talent. Each of the dance participants is presented in the minutest detail of costuming as well as facial features. Notice how the drummer is tapping his right foot, and the Koshari is actively demonstrating for whatever purpose, while the corn dancer is serious about his actions. In typical pueblo fashion, there is no background or ground plane nor anything in the sky. There are only the three figures.

The painting is not dated, but we know it has to be early 1940s. According to Snodgrass, he did not paint after 1942, and he died in 1944. He was born in 1923, so he could not have seriously painted much before 1938 and ended by 1942, so that is a very small window.

The painting is in original extraordinary condition. It was framed with acid-free materials and UV filtering conservation protective glass.

Written by hand on verso is the following: "Clown and Dancer" by Ha-a-tee (Ben Quintana) Cochiti Tribe. I do not believe this was written by the artist, but perhaps by a collector.

Provenance: ex. coll. Prescott, AZ collectors who purchased it from Santa Fe dealer and collector Richard M. Howard approximately 1995.