Artist Impression of Monument Valley by Andy Tsinhnahjinnie [SOLD]

Andrew Van Tsihnahjinnie (1916 - 2000) was born near Chinle, Arizona in 1916. He attended elementary school at the Indian School at Fort Apache but ran away and returned back to the Navajo Reservation. He then attended Santa Fe Indian School and became a student of Dorothy Dunn.  He was an avid student and was known to have stayed in The Studio painting until forced to return to the dormitory. Following his graduation, he went to work as medical illustrator for the *Indian Health Service.

During his long career he painted in a variety of different styles, but his subject matter was always that of the life, customs, and landscapes of the Navajo Reservation. As he aged and his eyesight began to fail he continued to paint, adapting his style to the changes in his vision. He began using a brighter color palette, using intense yellows and turquoise blues.  

In this Navajo Reservation landscape Tsinhnahjinnie was able to portray the grandeur of the spires and mesas  of Monument Valley by using a simplicity of line and color. Turquoise and white thunderheads are painted against a dark background signaling the approaching summer storms—perhaps our Monsoon Season which is the July 15th to August 15th. Red and gold peaks rise above the desert floor. The painting is signed with the artist’s name in the lower right hand corner.

Condition: The Artist Impression of Monument Valley by Andy Tsinhnahjinnie  is in excellent condition.

Provenance: from the collection of a family which is consolidating two homes into one and found it necessary to release some of their art collection.

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

*According to Wikipedia: the Indian Health Service (IHS) is an operating division (OPDIV) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). IHS is responsible for providing direct medical and public health services to members of federally-recognized Native American Tribes and Alaska Native people.