Eva Mirabal Original Painting of Pueblo Woman with OLLA [SOLD]

This original painting was created by Eva Mirabal of Taos Pueblo. We have handled many works by Mirabal over the years, and each one is a delight. Mirabal often depicted typical Pueblo subjects such as wildlife and ceremonial dancers, but she also varied from the norm frequently by focusing on scenes of women working. These charming depictions of women tending to their farms, homes, and families are popular among Mirabal's collectors.

This particular piece focuses on a Taos woman scooping water into a blackware OLLA. She kneels, holding a ladle in her right hand and her OLLA in her left, next to a small puddle. She is depicted with skill and sensitivity, wearing traditional Taos attire and an expression of contentment as she works. Mirabal's palette of green, red, and blue tones infuses this peaceful scene with strength and energy. This is an excellent example of Eva Mirabal's work.

The painting is signed Eah Ha Wa in lower right. It is framed beautifully, using a cream-colored matting and a vintage carved wood frame. The matting and backing have been updated with modern archival materials.

Eva Mirabal (1920-1968) Eah Ha Wa ("Fast Growing Corn") was a Taos Pueblo artist who studied at The Studio of the Santa Fe Indian School. Mirabal began receiving attention as early as her teenage years, and was chosen to show at a Chicago gallery in 1939. In 1943, she joined the Army. After basic training, she was assigned a post as a muralist. While in the Army, she created a comic strip titled "G.I. Gertie" which was circulated in Women's Army Corps publications. After the war and a stint teaching at Southern Illinois Normal University, she returned to Taos to continue painting and studying art. Mirabal's accomplishments—successful gallery exhibits, museum placements, and being the only woman included in the Philbrook Museum's 1946 First National Exhibition of Indian Painting—are even more impressive when one considers that she only lived to 49 years of age.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Eva Mirabal Original Painting of Pueblo Woman with OLLA is from a private New Mexico collection

Recommended Reading: "Taos Pueblo Painters" in New Mexico Magazine, January 2003 by Elmo Baca

TAGS: Taos Pueblo, Joseph Imhof, Indian Painting, Eva Mirabal