Male Dancer and Female Rasping Original Painting by Tonita Peña

This painting by Tonita Peña captures a significant aspect of Pueblo dances, where a male dancer moves to the rhythm created by rasping-a traditional percussive sound made by scraping a notched stick across a basket. Like much of Peña's work, this piece is dedicated to depicting ceremonial dance scenes, reflecting her deep connection to Pueblo culture and traditions.

Tonita Peña (1893-1949), also known as Quah Ah, was born in 1893 in the small pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico, located along the Rio Grande, just north of Santa Fe. After her mother's passing when Peña was twelve, her father, unable to care for her due to his responsibilities at the pueblo, took her to live with her aunt and uncle at Cochiti Pueblo, where she remained for the rest of her life. Peña was the only woman among the early group of talented pueblo artists known as The San Ildefonso Self-Taught Group, which included notable figures such as Julian Martinez, Alfonso Roybal, Abel Sanchez, Crescencio Martinez, and Encarnación Peña. These artists are recognized as the earliest known pueblo painters, and their works are now highly prized for their historical significance and exceptional quality.

Condition: good condition

Provenance: this Male Dancer and Female Rasping Original Painting by Tonita Peña is from a collector in New York

Recommended Reading: Tonita Peña by Samuel L. Gray, 1990. Avanyu Publishing (Alexander E. Anthony, Jr.), Santa Fe, New Mexico.

TAGS: San Ildefonso, Santa Fe, Cochiti Pueblo, Julian Martinez, Alfonso Roybal, Abel Sanchez, Crecencio Martinez, Encarnación Peña, Albuquerque, paintings, Joe Herrera