Untitled Diné Ceremonial Yei Dance Scene by Robert Draper [SOLD]

Over the years, we have handled many works by Diné artist Robert Draper.  This piece is the first we have seen with a ceremonial dance as its subject.  Draper places a line of Yeibichai dancers near the center of the image, with a crowd of spectators gathered around.  It is evening, and the ceremony is lit by a series of fires.  The dancers themselves received careful attention from the artist, and their surroundings are pleasantly and appropriately obscured by the dim but dramatic light.  The spectators—mostly black, shadowed figures, with details like tall hats emerging from their frames—are excellent as well.

We reached out to a Diné artist for details on the ceremony depicted in this image.  He sent us the following information: “The painting depicts the rites of the final night of the nine-day Nightway Ceremony. The painting shows the ’Átsah'łeh, or "first four dancers," of the ceremony. Following the rite, teams of dancers would continue the duration until dawn, thus concluding the ceremony.”

Draper is known for Navajo Reservation landscapes, and his skill in that area is put to good use here.  The dance happens within a particularly strong execution of the landscape we have seen Draper depict in previous offerings.  This one is deep and dreamy, with earthy tones on the darker end of the spectrum forming the hills and mesas.  Draper’s cloudy sky is similarly intense.  The artist’s chosen tools—oil pastels, rather than the watercolors we usually see in his works—enhance this intensity in an appealing way.  This unique and wonderful image from Robert Draper will likely capture the attention of those who appreciate bold, dramatic landscapes.

The painting is signed Robert Draper in the lower left.  It is framed under glass and a wide fabric mat, in a carved gold frame.  The framing presentation is strong but tasteful, suiting the image perfectly.

Diné artist Robert Draper (1938-2000) was born with the name Robert Martin (son of Janet Descheeny, Navajo, and Frank Martin, Hopi - Laguna) in Chinle, Arizona.  From the age of two, he lived with his grandparents.  He was given their surname of Draper when he entered school at the age of eight. He attended Chinle Boarding School on the Navajo Reservation, Intermountain Indian School in Utah for four years, and the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. He served a tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps.  Draper strayed from the two-dimensional style of painting that was favored by his peers, instead focusing on painting in a more European style. He is best known for his realistic scenes of the Navajo Reservation’s beautiful landscape.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Untitled Diné Ceremonial Yei Dance Scene by Robert Draper is from the collection of an Albuquerque family

Recommended Reading:

- Southwest Indian Painting: a changing art by Clara Lee Tanner

- NAVAJO PAINTING by Katherin Chase

Relative Links:  Hopi - Laguna, Navajo Reservation, Fine Art - Native American Paintings