Original Painting “Navajo Feather Dance” [SOLD]

The Navajo Feather Dance is one that entails a drummer who, during the dance, beats upon an overturned basket to provide the beat for the dancer.  To the rhythm of the basket-drum, a young girl begins a childish dance beating time with a pair of square frames, hung with feathers. There can be more dancers, both male and female, but Begay has illustrated only a male drummer and female dancer.

This painting is one of his more ceremonial than secular renditions.  The young girl is beautifully portrayed in her lovely full and flowing pink skirt, her traditional Navajo blouse, and abundant jewelry.  She has a beautiful face and long black hair.  Feathers on her hat match those of the wands she carries.  The handsome young man with a flute and overturned Navajo basket that he is using as a drum is equally beautifully dressed in colorful garments.

Begay has produced a painting that is meaningful and beautiful and incorporates features of an important Navajo ceremony. His use of strong color in muted tones provides a palette both soft and warm.  His choice of purple for the ground plane is unusual but works beautifully.  It takes the eye of a true artist to mix color as he has done. 

A typed label on verso reads as follows: Original Acrylic Color Traditional Indian Art.  Navajo Feather Dance.  Done in a correl (sic) dance by the Shooting Way Chant.  Cloud symbol feather dancer girl, and by singer and drummer.  By Harrison Begay, Navajo Artist.  Greasewood Trading Post, Ganado, Arizona.  Feb. 21, 1984.

Provenance: The current owner of this painting purchased it while living in Gallup, NM in the 1980s.