Original Watercolor of "The Harvest Maiden" [SOLD]

Special Value Offer: The owner has authorized us to reduce the price on this painting by 25% from the original price of $2800 to a new price of $2100.

I have seen a number of small single figure paintings by Tse Ye Mu over the years but never have I seen one of such visual impact. This has to be among the top ten paintings he ever executed. I believe it is an earlier painting, probably while he was a student or perhaps while he was still living at San Ildefonso Pueblo before moving to California.

Vigil was one of the San Ildefonso self-taught artists in the early part of the 20^th century. He was a leader within the San Ildefonso Watercolor Movement, a movement that caught fire during 1915 to 1917. It fostered an art form unmatched in the culture history of the world. It is during this period that I believe this was painted. He and the other self-taught painters at San Ildefonso portrayed tribal culture with an unerring color sense. Their success in the presentations was due to their understanding the ceremonials they painted because they had participated in them since childhood. They understood the meanings of the symbolism they interpreted.

The beautiful detail of the clothing worn by the Harvest Maiden is only outdone by the vivid colors chosen by the artist. The individual strands of fringe on the manta were carefully placed as were the individual kernels of corn on the colored corn in her hand. Each silver button on her moccasins and each bead of her necklace were painted to perfection. This truly is a magnificent work of art.

Condition: It appears that the painting is in the original frame and is in very good condition. There are only a couple spots of foxing and minor yellowing of the paper near the frame. The condition is really extraordinary considering the age of the painting. The colors are very vivid.

Provenance: Provided on request.