Original Albert Looking Elk Martinez Painting “The Last Chase”

Albert Martinez (1888-1940), known by his Taos name T'o'nu, meaning "Looking Elk," was one of the "Three Taos Pueblo Painters", along with Albert Lujan and Juan Mirabal. These three artists emerged as the Taos art colony expanded, learning to work with oils and watercolors to depict scenes in a European style of their community from a distinctly Native American perspective.

This casein painting on paper is remarkable for its reflection of an early Pueblo painting style, indicating it may be one of Martinez's earlier works. The scene captures the spirited moment of a Native American hunter closing in on a bison, portraying the intense energy of the chase. Adding a touch of realism, the artist skillfully includes what appears to be a Mexican gray wolf also in pursuit, highlighting the shared experience of hunting on the plains. Historically, Taos Pueblo hunters would journey far into the plains to hunt buffalo, a tradition long gone by Martinez's time but one that would have shaped his artistic vision in his formative years.

The painting is signed in pencil on the left and titled in the center.

Condition: original condition with new acid free backing

Provenance: this Original Albert Looking Elk Martinez Painting "The Last Chase" is from a collector in Oregon

Recommended Reading: American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas by Dorothy Dunn, 1968

TAGS: Painting, Taos Pueblo, Santa Fe, Albert Lujan, Juan Mirabal, Albert Looking Elk Martinez