"Despite its proximity to the artistically active pueblo of San Ildefonso, and despite linguistic ties between the two, Santa Clara has produced a relatively small number of painters. Certainly the outstanding individual from this village is Pablita Velarde."
(Clara Lee Tanner, 1957)

One of the most interesting accomplishments of Pablita Velarde was her desire to perpetuate the traditional art of the pueblo through her paintings. She earlier painted mostly the household activities of the women at Santa Clara. Later she expanded her repertoire to include documenting full-scale ceremonial dances and occasions at the pueblo.

In this painting of a line of women carrying pottery ollas on their heads, Velarde has captured the full essence of a parade of the "olla maidens" of the pueblo. It exhibits an extraordinary amount of fine detail and, in this respect, preserves valuable ethnological information. She has provided the proper costume detail from hairdo to moccasin, good composition, excellent faces and figures, shading in garments and skin, and exceptional fine detail.

Velarde achieved three-dimensional depth by placing steps as a ground plane for the women who are smaller as they are featured in the background.  Such dimensional painting was not practiced by many pueblo artists during that time. 

Condition:  The painting is in original excellent condition and is framed using acid-free materials.

Provenance: ex. coll. Kansas collectors