Untitled Painting of Tewa Clowns by Gilbert Atencio [SOLD]

This wonderful watercolor painting was created by San Ildefonso Pueblo artist Gilbert Atencio.  The artist’s subjects here are two Tewa clowns. They face the viewer directly, allowing an unobstructed look at their clothing and painted bodies.  Atencio was known for incredibly detailed work, and this piece is no exception. Anyone who has ever had the privilege of attending a ceremonial pueblo dance will recognize that Atencio’s clowns appear exactly as they would in person.  Atencio’s gift was his ability to depict with near-photographic accuracy the minutiae of any pueblo ceremony.

Atencio’s careful work rewards the viewer who chooses to give the image a close study.  Note the careful shading around the clowns’ arms, legs and midsections—this sort of depth-enhancing work is not often used in traditional pueblo imagery.  Atencio’s colors are strong and appealing, too. Behind the clowns, a bright rainbow forms a semicircle. From one end, rain cloud symbols emerge. From the other, rain pours down toward the ground.  Above the horizontal line upon which the clowns stand, and immediately below the rain shower, the artist signed and dated the painting—”Gilbert-Atencio 61.”

The painting is framed underneath acrylic and wide white mat in a carved wood frame.

Gilbert Atencio (1930-1995) Wah Peen attended the Santa Fe Indian School, graduating in 1947.  By the time he was twenty, he had exhibited at the Santa Fe Museum, the Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial, various Albuquerque venues, and the Philbrook Art Center in Oklahoma.  By the time he reached 19 years of age, he had been awarded six first prizes, six second prizes and five third prizes. Atencio's family included four siblings, one of whom was well-known Santa Clara Pueblo potter Helen Gutierrez.  His parents were Isabel Montoya (1899-1996) and Benjamin Atencio (? -1963). His grandmother and Maria Martinez's mother were sisters. His niece is Geraldine Gutierrez, who is a painter and potter from Santa Clara Pueblo.

Atencio will certainly be recognized as one of the finest pueblo painters of the second half of the 20th century—not only from San Ildefonso Pueblo, but among all pueblo painters.  His attention to detail was unequalled. A professional medical illustrator at Los Alamos National Labs, Atencio carried his precise drawing and painting skills over to his fine art paintings.  His crisply drawn and clearly colored renderings of ceremonial and home life have, since around 1947, been favorites in many shows. Much of Atencio’s inspiration for paintings came from stories his aunts told him about their lives. His style varied from the traditional flat style done early in his career, to more realistic paintings done later in his career.  Atencio passed away in 1995, and remains highly regarded by scholars and collectors.

Provenance: From the personal collection of Francis Harlow

Condition: this Untitled Painting of Tewa Clowns by Gilbert Atencio is in excellent condition

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

Relative Links: Native American Paintings, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Isabel M. Montoya, Maria Martinez, Gilbert Atencio, Tonita Peña