Zia Pueblo Pencil Sketch of Indian on a Horse [SOLD]

Every artist doodles and that is what this drawing of an emaciated Indian on an even more emaciated horse suggests.  It is a drawing that Velino Shije Herrera (1902-1973) Ma Pe Wi (Oriole) probably did just for the fun of sketching, probably not with the intention of selling it, but the current owner either purchased it in the 1960s or perhaps it was a gift from the artist to the owner.  At any rate, it's a charming piece and makes one want to smile.

The drawing was executed on paper and the paper was dry-mounted to mat-board.  It is signed in lower right.

Herrera was considered to be one of the Pioneer painters of the Rio Grande Valley and a leader in that art movement. He was born in 1902 at Zia Pueblo. He spent time painting at the School of American Research (SAR) in Santa Fe with his contemporaries Awa Tsireh and Fred Kabotie. He had no formal art training and was extremely proud of the fact that he was self-taught.

Ma-Pe-Wi was known for his flat style, but there were times when he would add a little light shading or paint in full perspective. By the mid-1930s, he depicted various subjects and combined a number of styles in one in his work. His vast repertoire was always changing and growing throughout his career. It was also in the mid-1930s that he became a teacher at the Albuquerque Indian School.

Condition:  appears to be in good condition

Provenance: from the collection of Katherine H. Rust

Recommended Reading: Southwest Indian Painting: a changing art, by Clara Lee Tanner