Untitled Dine (Navajo) Painting of a Boy at Lunchtime with his Dog [SOLD]

Its lunchtime for a Navajo boy and his dog in this black and white piece by Yazz, which has its subject shucking a piece of corn. This piece is a great complement to another acquisition to our collection which depicts a young Navajo boy holding a stem of flowers as a butterfly buzzes around them (see item #C2989J). The commonality of the two pieces comes with the inclusion of a slingshot in both. While black and white paintings were uncommon for Beatien Yazz (born circa 1928), this piece is beautifully and lovingly executed—a prime example of Yazz’s focus on his Navajo subjects and everyday moments on the reservation.

In the book, Yazz: Navajo Painter, the artist recounts his happy childhood, roaming over the plains and canyons of the Navajo Reservation. He and his closest friend, Philip Shorty, would spend their days playing, swimming in muddy waters, and shooting anything they could find with their slingshots.

Condition: The painting is in original excellent condition. It has never been framed and is currently shrink-wrapped for protection. It is signed in lower right.

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