Santa Fe Indian School Studio Painting of Three Deer [SOLD]

Dorothy Dunn’s art classes at the Santa Fe Indian School taught painting and drawing to young Native American students. Dunn was aware of the economic value of Indian art and encouraged her students to use their cultural traditions as a basis for their work. The Studio, the name of the art department, encouraged the students to paint two-dimensional, flat images on a bare background. The point of this was for them to concentrate on the main images without having to paint background items.

This painting by student Augustine Bird from Santo Domingo Pueblo features three deer galloping across the paper, jumping over a few delicately drawn plants. It is very well executed and is typical of The Studio style.

The painting is in its original frame and is signed A. Bird in lower right.

According to Diane Bird, Archivist at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, Augustine Bird was her uncle and she stated that he did not continue painting as a career after leaving the Indian School.  His career was as a house painter.

Condition: excellent condition with new mat board and backing and original frame and glass.

Recommended Reading: American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas by Dorothy Dunn.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery

Provenance: from a family in Albuquerque who unfortunately did not know its history or provenance.