Original Diné (Navajo) Painting of a Horse by Beatien Yazz [SOLD]

A childhood on the Navajo Reservation gave Beatien Yazz an appreciation for the nature surrounding him, and he became a keen observer of animals. He transferred visual snapshots into marvelous works of art on paper. The vastness of the reservation and its sparsely populated land afforded the animals there a life free from interruption by man. This gave Yazz great subject matter from which to pull and the result is beautiful contemplative works such as this.

This painting depicts a horse standing motionless and gazing off into the distance. The horse is so black that there are hints of blue in his coat. It is a wonderful example of how Beatien Yazz's work progressed with time. Early in his life, the artist focused little on background subject matter, but here one can see how he began to introduce naturalistic elements like the outline of clouds behind the horse and plant life at his feet. This piece was likely painted in the 1960s. It is one of the finest paintings of a horse I have seen by this artist.

The painting appears to be in original excellent condition. It is painted on artist board and framed in a wood frame. It is signed in lower right.

Provenance: ex. coll. Colorado resident.