Adobe Gallery Blog
Original Painting Entitled “The Healing” by Tony Abeyta - C3350
This charcoal and ink wash was executed on paper which was then mounted on canvas. It is one of four such paintings by Tony Abeyta based on dreams he had in the late 1980s. Unfortunately, three of the paintings were destroyed in a fire and this is the only survivor. It was executed in 1987-1989.
The scene depicts a healing ceremony. The female in center is having her hair ceremonially washed. The fire to her right is a purification symbol. The young boy in the far left carries a medicine bag in one hand and has an Owl, a very powerful symbol to the Diné, on his outstretched arm. He seems to be wearing a crown. He is either standing behind or in another fire. The Lion in the far right is a healing figure. The young girl above the head of the lion is blowing a shell trumpet. There is a small boat in the background about center of the painting. In the front, right corner, is a chamissa plant. The male and female in the foreground represent participants in the ceremony. The overall painting is very mysterious and was based on a dream Abeyta had at the time. He recently stated that he has difficulty now describing what he felt at the time that he painted this scene.