Original Painting entitled “Cloud or Rain Dancer Female” [SOLD]

The nephew of famed San Ildefonso potter Maria Martinez, Gilbert Atencio (Wah Peen) was born in 1930. He was considered to be one of the youngest San Ildefonso painters. A student at the Santa Fe Indian School, Atencio had already had a museum show by age twenty and had garnered many awards for his work before that.

Atencio favored painting clowns and using vivid color. As he got older his attention to detail became nothing short of remarkable. He was one of the first Southwest Native artists to paint a portrait of people—his aunt and uncle, in fact—Julian and Maria Martinez. It wasn’t until the 1960s that portraits became more commonplace. His later works became somewhat abstract.

This painting depicts a sole female dancer. Notice that Atencio’s attention to detail is so strong that he captures the exact expression and movement positioning as one would see at a feast dance in present day. She is walking over a ground which includes traditional cloud images. According the paper on the back of the piece, likely written by Atencio, this is a “cloud” or “rain” dancer.

Condition: The painting is in excellent condition and is currently matted and framed. It is signed in the lower right.

Provenance: ex. coll. California art collector