San Ildefonso Pueblo Original Painting of Two Antelope [SOLD]

Abel Sanchez was known as Oqwa Pi in the Tewa language.  He was the grandfather of San Ildefonso potter Russell Sanchez. Except for what little instruction he received at the Santa Fe Indian School, he had no other formal training. To quote the artist: "I, Oqwa Pi, have been painting since the early 1920s.  As I found that painting was the best among my talents, I decided to do my best to win me fame as an Indian artist....as an artist, I have raised a big, healthy family for my painting brought in good income...." Artist letter to Philbrook Art Center

Characteristic of Oqwa Pi's style, there are no backgrounds, foregrounds, or ground lines. This tends to make his art charming and true to the folk art style and certainly true to the Santa Fe Indian School style.  The fresh color and action and the great simplicity of his paintings made the works of his well received in exhibits at the Milwaukee Art Institute, Yale University, Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Stanford University and the Gallery of Fine Arts in Muskegon, Michigan.

This simple black and white painting of a pair of antelope easily demonstrates his outstanding artistic talents.  Each animal is well illustrated and their positions opposing each other are more creative than most artists who tend to have them facing in the same direction.  Oqwa Pi was a very talented self-taught artist who was well appreciated when he was alive and is well appreciated still today.

Condition:  This painting was delivered to us without a frame so we were able to examine the paper.  We found no significant discoloration or acid burn.  There is one brown spot in lower center of the paper and a small water spot close to that, otherwise there is no damage.

Provenance: acquired from a couple from Massachusetts.

Recommended Reading: Southwest Indian Painting: a Changing Art by Clara Lee Tanner. (There is one copy of this out of print book available from us at $95.  It was formally in the Central Library, Finger Lakes Library System, Ithaca, NY).