Original Painting of Reservation Rainstorm [SOLD]

Robert Draper grew up on the Navajo Reservation with his Navajo mother and Hopi-Laguna father.  He was educated on the reservation and spent his entire life living there.  Draper did not follow the two-dimensional style painting of many of his contemporaries but chose to paint in the European style.  He concentrated on the beautiful landscapes of the Navajo Reservation with which he was thoroughly familiar.  His colors are brilliant and reflect the bright colors of the rock formations that abound on the reservation lands.

In this canyon scene Draper captured the power and beauty of a rainstorm on the reservation. Rainstorms are celebrated in the desert, water being the source of all life.  He has included all of the traditional aspects of life on the Navajo reservation. In the foreground is a Navajo dwelling, a hogan with the entrance facing in the direction of the rising sun. Next to the hogan is a ramada where the family spends time outside cooking and weaving. In front of the living quarters is an old wagon. This painting could be a remembrance of the artist’s childhood, a look back at the old reservation ways. However in many places on the reservation, this image could be a snapshot of Navajo life today, with the only change being a pickup truck in place of the old wagon. Draper has captured the enduring magic of the beauty of the Navajo reservation.

Condition: appears to be in original condition but has not been examined out of the frame.

Provenance: from a gentleman in Albuquerque

Recommended Reading:  Southwest Indian Painting: A Changing Art by Clara Lee