Early Original Painting “Man of the Sun” by Helen Hardin

This miniature acrylic painting on paper offers an intimate glimpse into the early creative evolution of Helen Hardin — an artist who would go on to become one of the most distinctive and influential voices in contemporary Pueblo art.

In Man of the Sun, a stylized figure raises its hands toward a radiating yellow spiral, representing the sun. That same spiral motif is mirrored in the figure's head and chest, suggesting an alignment between human energy and cosmic forces. The spiral, one of the most significant forms in nature — from double-helix DNA to the very shape of our galaxy — serves here as a symbol of life, continuity, and spiritual connectivity. Though created in the early period of her career, this painting already reflects the cosmological perspective and symbolic language that would come to define Hardin's mature work.

Signed Tsa-Sah-Wee-Eh — her Tewa name meaning "Little Standing Spruce" — in the lower right, the painting's original backing reads "A contemporary Indian Painting," marking both her modern vision and her deep-rooted cultural identity. Born in 1943, Hardin carved out a path distinct from her renowned mother, Pablita Velarde, and her peers, fusing traditional Native iconography with the angular geometry and abstraction of modernist art. Though her life ended prematurely in 1984, Hardin's legacy endures through works like Man of the Sun, which reveal the thoughtful beginnings of an extraordinary artistic journey.

Condition: In very good condition, with a surface scratch on the varnish layer that has been professionally repaired by a qualified restorer.

Provenance: This Early Original Painting "Man of the Sun" by Helen Hardin is from a private collection.

Recommended Reading:  Changing Woman: The Life and Art of Helen Hardin by Jay Scott

TAGS: Helen Hardin, Santa Clara Pueblo, Pablita Velarde, Native American symbols, Native American Paintings, Acoma Pueblo