San Ildefonso Painting of a Leaping Fawn [SOLD]

Popovi's special skills were in beautiful, balanced, geometrical and symbolic designs.  He had the delicate touch of a fine artist, whether in paintings or pottery.  His name is synonymous with artistic genius, a trait he inherited from his famous parents.  Popovi was baptized Antonio José Martinez but officially changed his name to Popovi Da, his Indian name, in 1948.  He attended San Ildefonso Day School and the Santa Fe Indian School, where he studied under the tutelage of Dorothy Dunn and Geronima Cruz Montoya.

Popovi Da started painting even before entering elementary school.  Even before attending the Santa Fe Indian School, Po painted in the two-dimensional style of the older painters at the pueblo.  Perhaps he watched his dad paint.  His favorite subjects were always animals.

Po, as he was called, was drafted into the Army in 1944 and assigned to Los Alamos National Laboratory where he spent the remaining years of his tour.  He then stayed at Los Alamos and worked for the contractor after the war.  This, of course, limited his time for painting.  Around 1948, he and his wife opened the Studio of Arts at the pueblo and Po began helping his mom with her pottery.  As a result, there are very few of his paintings available and most of them pre-date World War II.

This graceful leaping deer is representative of his style.  It is almost Art Deco in style, but clearly follows the Indian School two-dimensional theme.  The grasses in the foreground exhibit a modernist look while the petroglyphs adjacent to them are clearly prehistoric.  The painting is an excellent example of his work.

Condition:  appears to be in original condition.  It is framed using acid-free materials and a new wood frame.

Provenance:  from a resident of Santa Fe

Recommended Reading:  The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez by Richard L. Spivey