RARE Hopi Original Painting of a Comanche Katsina [SOLD]

Mootzka attended the Indian School in Albuquerque while most of his contemporaries attended the one in Santa Fe.  The Albuquerque Indian School did not have an art department at that time.  He was basically a self-taught artist.  He had attended the day school at his village of Oraibi before going to Albuquerque and returned to Oraibi after leaving Albuquerque.  Although his work is often compared to that of Fred Kabotie, it appears that he painted alone and not under the tutelage of Kabotie.

During the 1930s Mootzka lived in Santa Fe and was one of the artists employed by John Louw Nelson to paint native life for him.  Some of these works were published in Rhythm for Rain by Nelson.  According to Clara Lee Tanner, "One painting by Mootzka that appears next to a Kabotie in this volume seems to justify the statement that Mootzka was influenced by Kabotie.  There are similarities in the handling of outlines, in proportions of extremities in general, and in sizes of hands and feet in particular. Even the treatment of fringes on moccasins is alike."

This painting of a Comanche Katsina is typical of Mootzka's single-figure paintings.  It is unquestionably similar to paintings by Kabotie.  The detail is well drawn, the overall figure is artistic, and the image is accurately portrayed and beautifully composed. 

It has just been framed using all acid-free materials and a simple blond wood frame.  It is a wonderful companion to another Mootzka small painting that is our Item Number C3267H.

Condition: appears to be in original condition

Provenance:  from a collector of Native paintings from Arizona who purchased it at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff

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