Diné (Navajo) Painting “Two Squirrels with Butterflies” by Beatien Yazz [SOLD]

Butterflies are a joyous scene, and Beatien Yazz was no stranger to the joys of nature, having grown up on the Navajo Reservation. The reservation was a place where a boy could see wildlife immersed in its element. In the book, Yazz: Navajo Painter, the artist recounts his happy childhood, roaming over the plains and canyons, playing, swimming in muddy waters, and shooting anything he could find with his slingshot.

Born in 1928, Yazz began his art career when just a young boy. Basically, a self-taught artist, his talent was recognized early on by the Lippencotts of Wide Ruins Trading Post. Yazz attended the Santa Fe Indian School and studied under Dorothy Dunn, and is one of her last two living pupils.

In this piece done at the height of his career, Yazz portrays two squirrels looking for food while butterflies flit overhead. The use of butterflies was a theme that Yazz repeated as evidenced by this companion piece featuring them flying over a pair of rabbits (see item #C2989E).

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: From the collection of the family of Balcomb’s Ranch Gallery, Colorado.