Original Painting of a Colt Intrigued by a Bird in Flight [SOLD]

Clara Lee Tanner, in her book Southwest Indian Painting: a changing art, compares Robert Chee to Harrison Begay in his strong ability to handle a great many colors and his tendency to stress the "intensity of tone in small areas." Chee, especially later in his very short life, could also be compared stylistically to Beatien Yazz.  Chee passed away at the age of 34.  Had he not passed away so soon, would we have seen many more spectacular paintings by him?  Probably so.

The colt is either startled or curious by the diving bird.  Chee very faintly outlined clouds in the low horizon by simply drawing orange lines.  The lava mound is typical of that seen in the El Malpais near Gallup, New Mexico, an area quite familiar to Navajo.  This is a very simple but impressive painting, probably dating to the 1950s.  It was painted on artist board.

Condition: very good condition with a few spots of paint splatter in upper left.

Provenance: from the collection of a Santa Fe family, the mother of which once worked at the Case Trading Post of the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, probably the source of her painting collection.

Reference and Recommended Reading: Southwest Indian Painting: a changing art by Clara Lee Tanner