Original Painting of a Navajo Social Dance [SOLD]

There is very little published information on Navajo artist Robert Chee primarily because he passed away at the young age of 34 years.  According to Dorothy Dunn (1968), "Robert Chee is an energetic and capable young painter whose talents seem only partially indicated in his many pictures."  Clara Lee Tanner (1973) stated "Chee showed considerable potential which was never fully realized.  He died late in 1971."

It is, of course, only speculation but Chee would have probably been one of the outstanding traditional artists of the last half of the 20th century had he lived.  His work is as good as any of the Navajo artists of that period.  He captured the essence of Navajo life on the reservation by presenting scenes of everyday life.