“Mountain Sheep Dance” Painting by Tse Ye Mu

This 1976 painting by Tse Ye Mu (Falling Cloud), also known as Romando Vigil, features a single ram dancer facing right, framed by a delicate rainbow motif above and a raincloud with stepped motif below. One of its most distinguishing features is the golden background, which is not paint but the natural color of the pebbled board substrate, giving the piece a luminous depth and texture.

Painted just two years before the artist's passing, this work reflects Tse Ye Mu's mastery of form and movement. Accompanying the painting is a card written during the artist's lifetime, which provides insight into his legacy:

"Tse Ye Mu (Falling Cloud), also known as Romando Vigil, was born in 1902 at San Ildefonso. A cousin of Tonita Peña (Quah Ah), he was painting as early as 1920. Soon becoming prolific, he produced murals for the 1933 Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. In the 1950's he was with the Walt Disney studios in Hollywood, where his own paintings reflected a style that Disney had developed in portraying animals."

Condition: excellent condition with archival mounting board, acid-free matt, and conservation glass

Provenance: this "Mountain Sheep Dance" Painting by Tse Ye Mu  is from the estate of a New Mexico resident.

Reference and Recommended Reading: American Indian Painting and Sculpture by Patricia Janis Broder

TAGS: Native American Painting, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Santa Fe, Carmelita Dunlap, Maria Martinez, Romando Vigil (1902-1978) Tse Ye Mu - Falling Cloud