Diné (Navajo) Painting of Man on Horseback with Shiprock in Background [SOLD]

Born in 1926, Charles Lee (Yel-Ha-Yah) developed a fascination with horses. His Indian name, which means "Warrior Who Came Out" in Diné (Navajo), was given by his grandmother. In his senior year of high school, he was sent to attend the Santa Fe Indian School. Later, he met Navajo artist Harrison Begay, who greatly influenced his work.

Clara Lee Tanner, in her book Southwest Indian Painting: A Changing Art, says that Lee's paintings "combined the reality of his life with his imagination..." in his paintings. He reached his pinnacle of style in 1948. Lee later became a missionary to his own people on the Navajo Reservation.

This piece depicts a Navajo man on horseback in the shadow of the famed Shiprock. As is typical of much of Lee's work, the color scheme is soft and beautiful.

Condition: The painting is in original excellent condition. It is matted, framed and signed and dated ‘62 in the lower right.

Provenance: From the collection of the family of Balcomb's Ranch Gallery, Colorado.