San Ildefonso Painting of an Antelope Dancer [SOLD]

Roybal grew up under the artistic influence of his well-known uncle, Awa Tsireh. Early in his education, he studied at St. Catherine's School in Santa Fe and at the Business College of Santa Fe. In the early 1950s he and Julia were married and it was then that he started producing pueblo dance designs on hand-painted Christmas cards and note cards. By 1955 he was seriously painting larger works and recognition for his talents came from the Heard Museum in Phoenix and the Philbrook in Oklahoma. He received a consistent string of first prizes in painting for each year since the Eight Northern Pueblos Arts and Crafts Shows began.

He is known by most collectors for his Koshari clown figures, mostly in note card size, but he was quite adept at painting larger images and very good at illustrating traditional dance figures such as this Antelope Dancer. The costuming detail is quite remarkable and the facial expression reflects the seriousness of the dancer.

Condition:  appears to be in original condition.  A sticker on verso acknowledges that it is "Framed with Tru Vue Conservation Glass."

Provenance: from a family in Arizona who has collected Native fine art

Recommended Reading: Southwest Indian Painting a Changing Art by Clara Lee Tanner