Wolfpack Triptych by Louis Cordova

This captivating triptych of watercolors by Louis Cordova of Santa Clara Pueblo offers a glimpse into the dynamic lives of wolves through three distinct scenes.

In "Four Wolves Wolfpack" four wolves gather near a scrub brush and yucca plant, with a cow skull ominously set in the foreground, evoking a sense of foreboding (see image below).

"Bison and Wolf Standoff" captures the tension of a rearing bison and a wolf bristling with anticipation, moments before a likely confrontation (see image above).

In "Wolf Chasing a Deer" a wolf is depicted in determined pursuit of a mule deer, a scene commonly witnessed in the northern regions of New Mexico (see image below).

A notable feature of this triptych is the wolves' directional orientation. In all but "Four Wolves Wolfpack," the wolves face leftward, while one in the first piece breaks the pattern by facing right. This choice reflects a characteristic of early Pueblo painters, where directional orientation plays an important role.

Little is known about Louis Cordova, a Santa Clara Pueblo painter whose work echoes the formal attributes of the first generation of Pueblo easel painters. His use of flat fields of space and watercolor on paper is a nod to the earlier periods of Pueblo art history, even though he painted generations later.

Condition: very good condition with slight yellowing of the paper

Provenance: this Wolfpack Triptych by Louis Cordova is from a collector in California

Recommended Reading: American Indian Painting and Sculpture by Patricia Janis Broder

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo, Native American Paintings