Original Painting “Buffalo Dance—Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico" [SOLD]

This original painting by Tonita Peña (Quah Ah) of San Ildefonso Pueblo was probably painted in the early 1930s. Over her career, Tonita used a variety of signatures on her paintings. (A complete description of the signatures and corresponding dates used may be seen in the biographical information provided by clicking on her name just below the above picture.)

The image depicts a Cochiti Pueblo Buffalo Dance in the traditional style with no ground plane and no background. In her paintings of dancers such as this she was able to make her dancers appear in motion rather than fixed in time.

Tonita Peña was born at San Ildefonso Pueblo, but was sent, by her father, following the death of her mother, to live with an aunt at Cochiti Pueblo at the age of 12. She spent the remainder of her life there.

Tonita Peña's usual treatment is concerned with several dance figures in a line followed by a drummer. Generally, there are women in her paintings, and, as a rule, these women are taking a definite part in the dance as shown in the action of the feet. Quite consistently the feet are lifted higher than the drawings of many other artists. And the feet of the men, too, are more active. This type of action, peculiar to Tonita, is well illustrated here.

This painting has been framed using all acid-free materials and museum UV protective glass. This is an extraordinary painting by one of the pueblo's finest female artists from the early 20th century. It is framed and ready to hang.