An Eagle Swoops Down to Protect an Injured Deer [SOLD]

This painting by John Martinez, son of Maria and Julian Martinez of San Ildefonso Pueblo, features a beautiful dark blue deer running away after being shot with an arrow.  It appears that an eagle is swooping down to offer comfort or protection to the deer.

John Martinez attended Santa Fe High School in the early 1940s, then Georgia Military Academy in 1942 and Stanford University from 1946-1948.  He was in the Army during World War II and so was his brother Phillip.   There seems to be no other information on John, as to what he did after the war or when he passed away.  He is listed as being a road engineer and an engineering draftsman with no indication as to where or for whom he worked.

John, born in 1915, was the second of four sons of Maria and Julian Martinez. The oldest was Adam, born in 1903; then John in 1915; Popovi Da in 1922; and Phillip in 1925.  There is very little information published on John and Phillip except a few statements made by Maria, published in Richard Spivey's book The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez.

Maria stated "John liked to study.  John liked to look at books and study and read and go to school.  He was the one that went to Stanford to school.  And he was a *football player.  And I said to him, 'That play I don't like.  I see so many get hurt.  Here they come bleeding.'  And he said, 'No, Mother.  I take care of myself.'  That was John."  Spivey

The painting was executed on paper and has been framed without addition of mat as a border.  A spacer is inserted between glass and painting to keep the painting from touching the glass.  John may not have been a prolific painter but was certainly a talented one.  The painting is signed in lower center John – ’51 just below the flowering plant.

It is believed that John painted this deer painting as a companion to the horse painting which is our Item Number 25676, as both were executed in the same size, on the same paper and with use of the same paint colors.

Condition: very good condition with exception of minor foxing over the background

Provenance: from the collection of a resident of New Jersey

Reference:  Spivey, Richard. The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez, Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe, 2003.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery.

*According to Wikipedia, the football helmets being used at the time were leather!  It wasn't until about 1940 that they had hard plastic helmets.  The picture of the leather helmet (above right) was similar to what John would have worn playing football and an example of a football team is below.  Photos are Public Domain (Wikipedia).  No wonder Maria was concerned about her son!