Original Painting “Buffalo Hunter” [SOLD]

During the decade of the 1920s, several self-taught artists at San Ildefonso Pueblo were painting for their pleasure. Tonita Peña, Ricardo Martinez, Luis Gonzales, Abel Sánchez, Romando Vigil and Encarnación Peña were among the group. At this same time, many residents of Santa Fe became interested in Native American art, particularly in preserving examples of it for future generations. It was at this time, that the predecessor to today’s School for Advance Research was created for the purpose of collecting and preserving all aspects of Native art.

Fortunate for collectors of that period and continuing to today, an ambitious woman named Dorothy Dunn convinced the Department of the Interior to fund an Indian art program at the Santa Fe Indian School. Her plans were realized in 1933 with the opening of The Studio at the school. It was at the school that she guided the interests of 40 young and aspiring students. Her experiment at The Studio was in sharp contrast to what was going on at other Indian schools in the United States.

According to Clara Lee Tanner, Peña produced little through the years. He painted dancers as did the other painters of the time. His dancer figures generally dominated the otherwise blank page and they were illustrated in dance mode with one foot raised. He apparently renewed his interest in painting after the 1957 comment by Tanner in her book. I recall Peña bringing paintings to the Albuquerque gallery in 1978 and 1979, although he never brought many even then. He was an interesting man and I am pleased to have known him.

This painting of a Buffalo Dancer is very typical of the paintings by this artist. It dates to circa 1965 and is in excellent condition. It is signed in lower right Soqween.

To see a photograph of Peña given to me by his wife following his death in 1979, click on the artist’s name just under the photograph above of this painting.