Original Painting of a Kewa Bird [SOLD]

Kewa Pueblo (Santo Domingo) is known mostly for its fine hieshe jewelry and excellent pottery, but not many painters are known from there. Charles Lovato is probably the finest and most recognized painter from that pueblo. It is unfortunate that he had such a short life, but fortunate that he left behind some wonderful paintings.

Lovato’s paintings were often inspired by poetry and at other times poetry was inspired by his paintings. His work took on a somewhat abstract depiction of representational figures. In this painting, the bird is probably a Roadrunner but presented in Lovato’s abstracted style.  The design on the bird’s body is extraordinary, the finest application of fine black lines in triangles.

The painting is signed C. F. Lovato and dated 71 in lower right.  It is double framed.

Condition: appears to be in original condition but has not been examined out of the frame

Provenance: from a family living in Santa Fe

Recommended Reading:  Southwest Indian Painting: A Changing Art by Clara Lee Tanner