Untitled Painting of Navajo Woman [SOLD]

Narciso Platero Abeyta (1918-1998) Ha So De was a Navajo painter and silversmith. He was also, among other things, a Golden Gloves boxer and one of the hundreds of Navajo Code Talkers who served in the Marines during World War II. He and wife Sylvia Ann had seven children, many of whom—Tony Abeyta, Elizabeth Abeyta Rohrscheib and Pablita Abeyta—became notable artists themselves. He is highly revered by collectors of Native American paintings, and his works are included in numerous prestigious public and private collections.

Abeyta received his initial art education at the Santa Fe Indian School, whose art instructor Dorothy Dunn commented on his abilities in her book American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas: "Ha-So-De developed a markedly unique style, although, in his formative period, his admiration for the work of (Navajo painter Andy) Tsihnahjinnie could be clearly seen. It was a fine influence and used honorably by the younger painter. His paintings of hunt and home scenes were broad in brushwork and flowing in line, at times appearing almost nonchalant. He was never concerned with small detail but only with the sweep and dash of movement in wild, free scenes. His was a positive art." He received further education at the University of New Mexico, where he studied under famous modernist painter Raymond Jonson.

This untitled piece features one of Abeyta’s favorite subjects: a Navajo [*Diné] woman going about her daily routine.  The artist’s depictions of Diné women are gentle, kind hearted, and beautiful; bearing the influence of Andy Tsihnahjinnie while still remaining clearly identifiable as the product of Abeyta’s skilled hand.  These are some some of his most enduring, classic images; and their appeal extends to a wider audience than his more challenging mythological scenes. Here, Abeyta presented his subject from behind, gathering corn.  Her face is invisible, and so her long braid becomes her most immediate physical feature. Her full skirt—made of bold blue, with red and yellow stripes—dominates the lower half of the image with its dramatic colors and slightly exaggerated size.

Abeyta’s line work here is, as per usual, fantastic.  He’s known for augmenting his primary outlines with additional lines in complementary, non-naturalistic colors.  With this image, he showed restraint; using single additional outlines rather than multiple outlines. Their colors, still, are unusual; lending the image a dreamy feel that is entirely unique to this artist’s works.  Thin blue lines, framing the woman’s dress and winding haphazardly through the green leaves, stand out as the most notably bold compositional choice. The composition feels loose, rich in emotion—as if it were spontaneously but very carefully crafted.  Abeyta must have been fond of his subject, as this presentation is absolutely beautiful.

Condition: this Untitled Painting of Navajo Woman excellent condition

Provenance: from an East Coast collection

Recommended Reading: American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas by Dorothy Dunn

*Note: when we say Diné, as opposed to Navaho or Navajo, we are referring to the people and not the government.  Since 1969, their government refers to itself as the Navajo Nation.

Photo Source of Ha So De: Wikipedia