Original Diné (Navajo) Painting of a Horse on the Run [SOLD]

Toddy was basically a self-taught artist. As a boy he was shy, as are many Navajo. He spoke very little and seemed to learn by observation. The Lippincotts, traders at Wide Ruins Trading Post, encouraged him to paint by giving him a space in the trading post that was his own, providing him with paper and paints, and leaving him alone to do his work. They technically were not able to teach him how to paint, but they did offer critical advice as they saw fit. On one occasion, foreign artist travelers to the trading post attempted to teach him, but the shy boy did not take well to it and did not paint again for several months. His one-year at the Santa Fe Indian School was no better at teaching him either. He just seemed to learn better by observation, not instruction.

Yazz was a keen observer of the animals on the reservation. He was able to take a visual snapshot of animal activities and then commit those images to paint and paper. The Navajo Reservation is a very large reservation and very sparsely populated, leaving much land for the animals to enjoy without interruption from man. In this painting, a horse is being chased by a pair of foxes. Yazz captured the fear of the horse in his facial features, particularly his eye.

Condition: The painting is in original excellent condition. It has never been framed and is currently shrink-wrapped for protection. It is signed in lower right.

Provenance: This painting is among a collection from the Balcomb family, formerly owners of an art gallery which they closed in 1976.