Navajo artist Quincy Tahoma soared to fame as an artist from his early school years up to the mid 1940s and then his life took a drastic turn for the worse.  He was still a phenomenal artist and was recognized as such but he was finding it hard to fit into society.  He had not lived on the Navajo Reservation since early childhood, having lived with friends in Scottsdale and Santa Fe most of his adult life.  He was a wanderer who could not seem to settle into a home.  He often visited friends in Taos, San Juan and San Ildefonso Pueblos and sometimes would extend his visits for weeks.  He seemed to be searching for a place to belong.

This painting of a pair of stallions completed in 1952 is clear evidence of his artistic talent.  The rendition of the horses is as only a Navajo familiar with horses could draw.  The unbridled power of the two horses is unquestioned as laid down by Tahoma.  He had a knack for presentation of horses and he understood them well.

Condition: The painting is signed 1952 and appears to be in original excellent condition although it has not been examined out of the frame.

Provenance: ex. coll. Arizona family.

Recommended Reading: Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist by Havens and Badertscher.