Aquatint Etching entitled “Medicine Woman” [SOLD]

Among the most famous and sought after work by Helen Hardin, Santa Clara Pueblo, is a series of three aquatint etchings she named Changing Woman, Listening Woman and Medicine Woman.  Changing Woman, executed in 1981, was the first of the three.  Hardin said she did not intend to work in a series but “when Changing Woman turned out so well I decided to go ahead.”  Scott 1989, 135

Exactly a year later, she made Medicine Woman, and the following year, Listening Woman.  In this series, Hardin concentrated on attributes of women—self-sufficiency, active anguish, covert ecstasy, acceptance of grief, and the virtue of endurance.  She focused on the heads of the women to emphasize the strength of the head because women are emotional and sensitive.

“Hardin’s ‘Women Series’ does get at the real meaning of things—at the agony that accompanies change, at the hurt that accompanies healing, at the pain that accompanies empathy, and paradoxically, at the liberation that accompanies change, at the health that accompanies healing, at the knowledge that accompanies understanding.” Scott 1989, 140

As Hardin was finishing Medicine Woman, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She underwent a mastectomy and seemed to improve during the next year.  The following spring, she worked on Listening Woman, which she described as “She’s the speaker, she’s the person who’s more objective, the listener and the compassionate person.”  Listening Woman began printing in May, 1982, at which time she found out that the cancer has metastasized.  It then spread to her lungs.  Hardin continued working when she felt well but continued undergoing chemotherapy too.  She passed away on June 9, 1984 at the age of 41.

Perhaps it is symbolic that she was finishing Medicine Woman at the time she was diagnosed with cancer.  Perhaps Medicine Woman came to her as a premonition of what was to follow.  It gave her the strength to finish Listening Woman.  The Women Series sums up the life of Helen Hardin as each of the three etchings is her self-portrait:

Changing Woman was Helen when she moved from Santa Fe to Albuquerque and experienced a great change in her happiness to be out of Santa Fe. 

Medicine Woman was Helen’s discovery and treatment of cancer.

Listening Woman was her accepting her impending death with the attitude that she would always be remembered by the art she left behind.

The women series of aquatint etchings is a beautiful expression by Helen Hardin of her life and the lives of all women.  This series will always evoke feelings by art lovers.

The etching is signed in lower right by the artist and numbered III/VIII in lower left.  Roman numerals are applied to a small series of impressions that are not visually different from the main edition but are numbered separately in roman numerals.  These images help support guest artist programs, enabling other artists to experiment with the medium.

Condition: appears to be in original condition

Provenance: from the collection of artist Amado Pena of Santa Fe

Reference:  Changing Woman: The Life and Art of Helen Hardin by Jay Scott