“God of the Clouds” Mural by Fred Kabotie in The Watchtower [SOLD]

This painting by Fred Kabotie has significant historical importance. First, the artist was Fred Kabotie, a person who was important as a Hopi and an artist. Second, it was commissioned by the Fred Harvey architect Mary Colter specifically for approval as a mural inside The Watchtower at the Grand Canyon. The image was eventually painted by Kabotie as a mural, along with other images he painted.

The winged God of the Clouds has a rainbow with rain clouds above him. Immediately above his head is a universal rain cloud symbol dripping rain, with lightning symbols on both his arms. The colors used are turquoise, yellow, red, and white. Resting on the ground plane is a whole yellow corn and a whole blue corn. The painting is signed with the initials F. K.

This painting was once in the collection of Santa Fe dealer and collector, Richard Howard. When he sold it to the current owners years ago, he told them a little history of the painting. He said that Mary Colter commissioned Fred Kabotie to submit designs to be painted as murals in a building at the Grand Canyon. She asked him to provide her with samples of what he would paint so she could approve them. Kabotie was irritated at her for asking him to submit samples for her approval, but he did. This is one of the samples. After it was approved, Kabotie painted it on the wall of The Watchtower, but he changed the colors to get back at her.

"The Watchtower at Desert View was built in 1932 by Fred Havey and the Santa Fe Railroad. The architect was Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. Primarily an observation station and convenient rest stop for Grand Canyon visitors, it was also intended to bring about a better understanding of the American Indian and his life in past and present.

"The Watchtower is no restoration or copy of any particular Indian building, but a re-creation of the strange prehistoric towers found scattered over large areas of the Southwest. Months of research by Mary Colter preceded the actual building, which took three years. The finest examples of masonry and design found in prehistoric ruins went into the structure. Built in harmony with the eroded Canyon walls as well as with the legendary lore of the land, it seems a part of the rocky promontory from which it arises.

"To the best of our knowledge, the ancient towers were used for the storage of food and for protection in times of war. By way of an inside ladder, the tribe could climb up to the several landings and, by removing the ladder, foil attempts to storm the citadel. Attackers were forced to replace the ladder and to climb single-file through the small floor openings—not an easy feat if the defenders were waiting, tomahawk in hand." [Fred Harvey Trading Company]

Fred Kabotie (1900-1986) Naqavoyʹma (the sun coming up day after day) was an influential Hopi painter, silversmith, educator, author, and illustrator. A family member nicknamed him Qaavotay ("tomorrow"), which a teacher later spelled as "Kabotie." That name remained with him for the rest of his life. He was born to a traditionally minded Hopi family at Songo`opavi, and began drawing Katsinam at a young age. Later, he attended the Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS), where, at the time, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was encouraging cultural assimilation and the prohibition of arts training. Elizabeth DeHuff, wife of SFIS superintendent John DeHuff, taught Kabotie and other aspiring native artists painting out of her home. Awa Tsireh, Velino Herrera, and Otis Polelonema were among her other early students. DeHuff's encouragement would lead to a long and fruitful relationship. In 1920, Kabotie's work was displayed by the Society of Independent Artists in New York City, making him one of the first Hopi artists to receive national recognition. As a painter, he was most productive during the 1920s and 1930s, executing exceptional watercolor paintings of Hopi ceremonial functions. Because of their quality and rarity, these paintings rank among the most valuable works by Native American painters.

Today, Kabotie is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential Hopi artists. His list of significant accomplishments is long and varied. Kabotie illustrated numerous books, exhibited his works around the country, and taught hundreds of young Hopi artists how to paint. He worked for the Museum of New Mexico and School for Advanced Research, creating depictions of Hopi culture. He curated notable exhibitions of Native art, painted murals in prominent public locations, and was instrumental in the establishment of the Hopi Cultural Center. He received a Guggenheim fellowship in 1945, and in 1954 was awarded the French Government's Palmes d'Académique. He was an innovative jeweler, too, and helped establish the Hopi Silvercraft Cooperative Guild. His son Michael Kabotie (1942-2009) would become a very accomplished and successful painter and silversmith. Fred Kabotie's entire life was dedicated to the artwork of his people.

Condition: for a painting executed almost a hundred years ago, it is in very good condition.

Provenance: this "God of the Clouds" Mural by Fred Kabotie in The Watchtower is from the New Mexico family who purchased it from Richard M. Howard.

Recommended Reading: Fred Kabotie: Hopi Indian Artist - an autobiography told with Bill Belknap, 1977.

TAGS: Michael Kabotie, Hopi Pueblo, Native American Paintings, Fred Kabotie