Diné (Navajo) Dancer in Full Regalia [SOLD]

Beatien Yazz, born around 1928, achieved fame early in life through illustrations published in Alberta Hannum’s books, Spin a Silver Dollar, in 1944, and Paint the Wind, in 1958. As a result, his paintings have always been very much in demand. His son, Calvin Toddy, told us recently that his dad is in good health but no longer able to paint due to eyesight problems.

Most of Yazz’s work reflects the everyday lives of the Navajo of a secular or religious nature. His features may be realistic or semi-realistic; his colors strong and contrasting but seldom muted; and rich combinations of color are typical.

This painting is a good example of his use of strong colors. He did a brilliant job of selecting bright and rich colors for the clothing of the dancer. The dancer appears to be a young man performing a very active dance.  Yazz demonstrates his respect for portraying the accuracy of the clothing and accessories of this dancer.