Gilbert Atencio Painting of a Pueblo Potter

This 1961 gouache painting by Gilbert Benjamin Atencio (Wah Peen) (1930-1995) of San Ildefonso Pueblo offers a beautifully detailed depiction of traditional Pueblo pottery creation. Gilbert Atencio, nephew of Maria Martinez, was known for his mastery of flat-style Studio movement painting combined with exceptional fine line work, anatomical realism, and proportional accuracy. His signature line "Gilbert. Atencio 61" in the lower corner dates this work right to his peak artistic period in the early 1960s. One might assume that this is a portrait of Maria Martinez, however, Maria did not paint pottery. Julian and others painted her Polychrome jars.

Gilbert Atencio's family included four siblings, one of whom was Helen Gutierrez, a well-known potter from Santa Clara Pueblo.  His parents were Isabel Montoya (1899-1996) and Benjamin Atencio (? -1963).  His grandmother, Nicolassa Montoya, and Maria Martinez's mother were sisters.  His niece is Geraldine Gutierrez who is a painter and potter living at Santa Clara Pueblo. On occasion, Gilbert made pottery and was quite expert at doing so.

Note that the potter holds the large unfired olla using a protective white cloth draped across her lap and hands. During the delicate stage of painting onto a vessel before firing, natural oils and moisture from skin transfer directly to the raw clay surface. These fingerprint residues prevent the natural mineral slip and paint from adhering evenly or cause discolored blemishes and uneven polishing after the pot goes through the firing process. She holds a traditional brush fashioned from stripped yucca leaf fiber, tapering to a fine point to execute precise geometric brushwork.   

The large pot resting in her lap features a clean, unpainted white/cream slip. The completed polychrome jar in front displays classic San Ildefonso/Tewa design motifs, including geometric stepped cloud/stair designs and an Avanyu (water serpent) encircling the upper shoulder band. The pot behind her showcases an intricate polychrome pattern with checkerboard designs, fan motifs, and stepped terraced elements.   

Atencio attended the Santa Fe Indian School.  By the time he was twenty, he had exhibited at the Santa Fe Museum, the Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial, at Albuquerque venues, and at the Philbrook Art Center in Oklahoma.  He had been awarded six first prizes, six second prizes, and five third prizes by the age of 19.

He will certainly be recognized as one of the finest pueblo painters of the second half of the 20th century, not only from San Ildefonso Pueblo, but among all pueblo painters.  His attention to detail was unequalled.  As a professional medical illustrator at Los Alamos National Labs (LANL), Atencio carried forward his precise drawing and painting skills over to his fine art paintings.  It is well known that he practiced the same diligence relating to ceremonial functions at the pueblo.  He did not tolerate less than perfection.  

"San Ildefonso Pueblo's fame as an art center, save for the work of a few men, has diminished in the painting field.  One of the main standard bearers is Gilbert Atencio, who has thus far seldom departed from developments of time-honored themes and forms.  His crisply drawn and clearly colored renderings of ceremonial and home life have, since around 1947, been favorites in many shows." Dorothy Dunn, 1968  

Gilbert Atencio was known for his paintings but little known as a potter.  Later in life, he did make pueblo pottery but that was for his own pleasure.  Paintings remained his second profession following his retirement from LANL.  His ability to paint medical illustrations, paint pueblo life scenes, and make pottery illustrates his extraordinary artistic talent. 

Condition: very good condition and in its original frame

Provenance: this Gilbert Atencio Painting of a Pueblo Potter from the collection of a client from California

Reference: American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas by Dorothy Dunn

TAGS: Native American Paintings, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Isabel M. Montoya, Maria Martinez, Gilbert Atencio (1930-1995) Wah Peen