Original Painting “Two Sisters and their Favorite Pony" [SOLD]

Harrison Begay is probably the most famous of the early Navajo artists. He has had a long and distinguished career. He started painting while attending the Santa Fe Indian School and began to paint full time after returning from service in World War II.

His favorite subjects have always been the Diné and their life on the reservation. There is an innocence is his depictions of Navajo life. It probably reflects on his remembrances of life when he was a youngster.

The central theme of this painting is two Navajo sisters out for a ride on their pony. All of the charm expressed in delicacy of line, in quietness of pose, finds an outlet in this subject. The girls are the central figures, while riding the pony. A dog runs alongside them. Three conventional billowing clouds are above the girls with falling rain somewhere behind them, delicately lined earth surrounds them, and clumps of rabbit brush add the feeling of symmetry. Above their heads is the protector Rainbow Yei.

This painting is signed with his traditional English/Navajo names. It is not dated but was purchased in Gallup, NM in the 1980s. The painting is matted but not framed. It is shrink-wrapped for protection.