San Ildefonso Male and Female Buffalo Dancers - PAIR [SOLD]

Gilbert Atencio, from San Ildefonso Pueblo, believed in the traditional Indian ways and his favorite subjects were ceremonies, ceremonial figures, and scenes from Pueblo life. Here he painted traditional San Ildefonso Pueblo Male and Female Buffalo Dancers, as they would appear in a plaza dance.  They are individual paintings in matching frames.

Much of Atencio’s inspiration for paintings came from stories his aunts told him about their lives. His style varied from the traditional flat style done early in his career, to more realistic paintings done later in his career.

Atencio worked at Los Alamos National Laboratories (LANL) most of his adult life as a medical illustrator. It is from this career that he developed his meticulous style and attention to detail. His paintings are flawless. Because of his career, he did not produce a large amount of art until his retirement from LANL.

Animal dances occur in the winter as an offering of thanks to the animals for making themselves available to the hunters in time of need.  The dances also serve as pleas for continued cooperation between animals and humans.  Members of New Mexico Pueblos would make a four-month trek to the Plains to search for buffalo on an annual basis. 

In this PAIR of paintings, Atencio used strong colors applied in a delicate manner.  His detail is precise, costuming accurately presented and facial features of utmost beauty.  He painted the necklaces by individual bead and the buffalo head coverings in detail.  The ruff on the male dancer's arm and the tin cones on the kilt are each presented singly and distinctly.  The embroidery on the female’s skirt looks to be in three-dimension.  There was no detail left unattended.  This is the finest presentation of a pair of Buffalo Dancers we have seen.  Each painting is signed and dated.  The female is dated 1959 and the male 1958.

Condition: both are in original condition.

Provenance: this painting of San Ildefonso Male and Female Buffalo Dancers listed as from the estate of John & Alfred Stieglitz of Rye, New York, which was auctioned in 2011.  Alfred Stieglitz was the husband of Georgia O’Keeffe.  I do not know the family connection of John Stieglitz.  The items were listed as coming from the New York apartment of John Stieglitz

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