Beatien Yazz Original Painting of a Leaping Fawn

This painting by Diné of the Navajo Nation artist Beatien Yazz displays a beautiful scene of a fawn leaping over a large stone and an area of shrubs, red dirt, and tall corn. The sharp colors that are typical of Yazz's work are especially prevalent in this scene, set up against a white backdrop. He particularly makes use of a deep brownish purple on the fawn and on the stones below, as well as a contrasting light green on the botanic life surrounding the fawn.

In addition to the natural backdrop there is a row of seven birds in flight in the upper portion of the painting. These contribute to the tranquility of the scene and offer the viewer a more complete environment to admire. As per usual with the work of Beatien Yazz, there is excellent attention to detail throughout which can be seen quite clearly on the body of the fawn itself.

The painting comes in a carved wood frame with two tiers of matting in black and maroon under Tru-Vue glare resistant glass. The painting is signed in the lower right Beatien Yazz.

Beatien Yazz was a self-taught artist from the Navajo Nation. Alongside his classmates at the Santa Fe Indian School, he contributed to the proliferation of a painting style that is highly sought by collectors. He always included subject matter relating to his culture and religion, which is important to remember and teach to the next generation. His watercolor paintings provide important cultural records.

Beatien Yazz (1928- ) Little No Shirt - Jimmy Toddy was born on the Navajo Reservation. Yazz showed promise as an artist very early. At an early age, Yazz met the Lippencotts, traders at the Wide Ruins Trading Post, and they made available to him scraps of paper and other equipment so that he might practice in color. He was also the subject of Alberta Hannum's books Spin a Silver Dollar and Paint the Wind, and his paintings were used as illustrations.

Did you know? All fawns lose their spots after they are three or four months old. Mother deer often hide their youngest baby deer in vegetation while they forage for food to protect them from natural predators. Source: Outdoors Being website.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Beatien Yazz Original Painting of a Leaping Fawn is from a private collection

Recommended Reading: YAZZ Navajo Painter by J.J. Brody, Sallie R. Wagner, and Beatien Yazz. Published in 1983.

TAGS: Navajo Reservation, Spin a Silver Dollar, Paint the Wind, paintings, Yazz: Navajo Painter