Untitled Plains Indian Painting by Oscar Howe [SOLD]

The works of Yanktonai Dakota Indian artist Oscar Howe rank among the most valuable and collectible Native American paintings. Howe's initial formal training came from Dorothy Dunn, and his early works most definitely reflect that experience. Howe was not content to continue working in the traditional styles, and so he developed his own. Howe's experiments with abstraction and dynamic color were unlike anything being produced at the time. After being rejected by a 1958 Native American art show at the Philbrook Museum, Howe wrote a now-famous letter in which he expressed his philosophy: "Are we to be held back forever with one phase of Indian painting that is the most common way? Are we to be herded like a bunch of sheep, with no right for individualism, dictated to as the Indian has always been, put on reservations and treated like a child and only the White Man know what is best for him... but one could easily turn to become a social protest painter. I only hope the Art World will not be one more contributor to holding us in chains." Howe's well-worded protest aided his efforts to introduce contemporary styles into the world of Native American art. He continued incorporating traditional ideas and images into his decidedly contemporary works, however, and he did so with such skill that he was ultimately able to succeed within and far beyond the established world of Native art. Today, he is regarded as one of the most important and influential Native American painters.

This painting provides an excellent example of Howe’s ability to seamlessly combine abstraction with Native imagery. Howe’s subject here is ceremonial in nature. A Sioux Indian is positioned in the center of the image, facing the viewer, holding a pipe.  Six bird heads rest upon the pipe. Two more people are present, facing away from the viewer. Howe’s presentation of his human subjects is remarkable. Though the artist rejected the label, “cubism” is a term that might spring to the mind of the viewer. Though defined by straight lines and carefully shaded flat planes, Howe’s human subjects are sensitive and, in a way, lifelike.  Their energy is enhanced further by the exhilarating combination of colors that surrounds them. Wild flames of pink, red and maroon encircle their ceremony. The background, which is made of various shades of blue and gray, provides cool colors which stand in well-balanced contrast to the aforementioned pinks and reds. Howe’s bold, vibrant color choices make for an incredibly powerful experience for the viewer.  This is an incredibly strong piece from an innovative individualist whose significance cannot be overstated.

The painting is signed Oscar Howe and dated 71. It is framed with archival materials, under a wide mat within a simple black frame. 

Oscar Howe (1915 - 1983) Mazuha Hokshina - Trader Boy was born on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.  Mazuha Hokshina (or “Trader Boy”) was his Dakota name. Howe was remarkably talented, and also notable for having overcome a great deal of adversity on his path to becoming a successful artist.  A skin disease kept him indoors as a child. He learned traditional Plains painting from his grandmother. Later, after contracting tuberculosis, he moved to Santa Fe. From 1933 to 1938, he further explored his talents under the guidance of Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School.  The Roosevelt administration’s Works Progress Administration sent Howe to Fort Sill Indian Art Center, where he studied mural painting. After working for a few years, he served in World War II. After being discharged in 1945, Howe went to college. He earned a B.A. from Dakota Wesleyan University and an M.F.A. from the University of Oklahoma.  In 1957, three years after receiving his M.F.A., he became a professor at the University of South Dakota. Howe continued teaching until passing away in 1983 due to complications related to Parkinson’s disease.

Provenance: from the estate of a collector who purchased the piece directly from Howe in 1972

Condition: this Untitled Plains Indian Painting by Oscar Howe is in excellent condition

Relative Links: Native American Fine Art, The Plains Indians, Native American Paintings, Oscar Howe