Santa Fe Indian School Studio Painting of Two Deer [SOLD]

In 1932 school teacher Dorothy Dunn opened The Studio at the Santa Fe Indian School to allow for the students to learn about painting. The Studio painting style was characterized by flat, two-dimensional figures placed on a plain background with small amounts of vegetation.

This painting by Reyes Lovato, a student at The Studio, is part of a collection of 10 paintings from a class of The Studio. In 1937, Dunn left The Studio and Geronima Cruz Montoya became the director. She remained there until 1962. It is most likely Reyes Lovato was a student of Montoya’s.

The artist has created a distinctive painting in the tradition of the Santa Fe Indian School. Two fawn are placed on an incline and seem to be chasing each other. The color and shading are finely executed and the little animals seem to dance across the page.

The artist signed Reyes L on the bottom right corner and the complete signature, Reyes Lovato, Santo Domingo Pue. was written on a piece of cardboard on the back of the painting. When we had it re-matted, we had the signature photocopied and placed on the back of the newly matted piece. The frame is the original frame.  The removed cardboard backing is available and will be provided.

It is believed that Conrad Hilton purchased this painting for his first hotel in Albuquerque as he did with the other similarly framed ones in this group. In an interview with Ramos Sanchez, one of the students, he indicated that Hilton purchased paintings by students for his first hotel.

Condition: excellent condition with new mat board and backing and original frame and glass.

Recommended Reading: American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas by Dorothy Dunn.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery

Provenance: from a family in Albuquerque who unfortunately did not know its history or provenance.