Original Hopi Painting “Indian Ponies” by James Humetewa Jr., 1944

This historic gouache painting by James Russell Humetewa Jr. captures two ponies in full stride, galloping left across the page with a sense of rhythm and motion. Titled Indian Ponies, the work was painted in 1944 and reflects the early Pueblo flat style that would later become widely celebrated. What distinguishes this piece is its remarkably sophisticated technique, especially notable in the horses' bodies, where radiating patches of white and brown create a sense of light and form. Humetewa achieves this transitional effect through a ribboning method, breaking tonal gradients into a stepped progression of grays — an advanced approach for an artist so early in his career.

This original painting is signed and dated 1944 in the lower right corner.

James Russell Humetewa Jr. (1926-1976), also known as Shelling Corn" was a Hopi artist born near Tuba City, Arizona. He lived and worked in Santa Fe and Bernalillo and was affiliated with the Museum of New Mexico, both as an employee and exhibiting artist. Humetewa was recognized as one of the most prolific young Hopi painters of the 1950s, and his work was widely collected during his lifetime. He is featured in many important texts on early Native American painting and remains an influential figure in the field.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: This Original Hopi Painting "Indian Ponies" by James Humetewa Jr., 1944 was originally purchased from Adobe Gallery in 1977 and is now being offered through a collector of Adobe Gallery.

Recommended Reading: Ceremonial Costumes of the Pueblo Indians: Their Evolution, Fabrication, and Significance in the Prayer Drama by Virginia More Roediger, Solo Exhibition: Museum of New Mexico, 1949

TAGS:  Native American Paintings, Hopi Pueblo, James Humetewa, Jr.