“The Artist’s Model” Humorous Situation on the Navajo Reservation [SOLD]

This early painting (dated 1937) clearly shows the influence of Quincy Tahoma’s time at the Santa Fe Indian School.  The style is typical of that seen during the tenure of Dorothy Dunn as director of The Studio of the Indian School.  Tahoma later evolved into more three-dimensional painting but this early one is of the flat style.  Tahoma had been sent by the Government to the Albuquerque Indian School in 1929 from his home in Tuba City, Arizona.  A year later, he was transferred to the Santa Fe Indian School, entering in the 4^th grade. Santa Fe contrasted sharply with his home on the Navajo Nation and this must have been difficult for a boy of 12 years of age.  Not only was he taken away from his parents, he was taken away from familiar life of a Navajo on the Indian Reservation.

Quincy Tahoma spent the rest of his life in Santa Fe.  He was a charming young man and was well liked by Santa Feans.  This painting, however, shows his ties to his homeland on the reservation.  He is dressed in typical cowboy clothes—boots, hat and scarf—and is posing on his horse for the typical tourists who usually had a camera or a sketch pad.  His portrait of the tourist couple is absolutely typical of those seen in the 1920s photographs taken of the Detours by the Fred Harvey Company.  The little boy peeking out of the door of the hogan had probably never seen anyone dressed like that before.

I think Quincy Tahoma probably had fun painting this image of witnessed or imagined tourists.  He was 20 years old at the time and probably had only had experience with tourists visiting Santa Fe, staying at La Fonda Hotel, and taking the Fred Harvey Detours to the pueblo villages, and that is the way they looked, dressed and acted toward the Native people.  This is a wonderful commentary on tourists, Santa Fe, and the early 20^th century.  Absolutely amazing painting.

Condition:  appears to be in original condition

Recommended Reading: Quincy Tahoma, The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist by Charnell Havens, et. al.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery.

Provenance: from the collection of a gentleman from Oklahoma