Mineral Earth Painting of Quail Pair [SOLD]

This original painting by Santa Clara artist Pablita Velarde features two quail interacting with each other. One stands in the foreground, just left of center. The other stands further into the background, near the center of the image. They walk in unison, with right legs raised and left legs planted on the ground. Symbolic design elements appear within their wings, in maroon and dark yellow tones.

The detailed environment in which the birds exist manages to match the appealing nature of the figures. A jagged edge of a desert hilltop forms the horizon line, which crosses the image diagonally toward the upper right corner. Thoughtfully composed plants appear along the hilltop's edge and in the foreground, while a single tree rises into a sky made of earthy tan tones. Those who appreciate Velarde's style will find much to admire within this image.

The painting is signed Pablita Velarde and dated 1995 in lower right. It is framed under glass and fabric matting in a wood frame.

Pablita Velarde (1918-2006) Tse Tsan (Golden Dawn) was an innovative and influential artist from Santa Clara Pueblo. Velarde was among the first full-time female students in Dorothy Dunn's art class at the Santa Fe Indian School, where she studied alongside Tonita Peña. These two women are regarded as the first Native American women to support themselves as painters, but it's not just because of this that they are remembered so fondly. It's because of the quality of their works that they have remained so visible in the many years since they have passed. Velarde passed away in 2006.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Mineral Earth Painting of Quail Pair is from the estate of an Albuquerque family

Recommended Reading: PABLITA VELARDE: PAINTER OF PUEBLO LIFE by Dorothy Dunn. In El Palacio, vol. 59, no. 11, November 1952

TAGS: Native American Paintings, Santa Clara Pueblo, Tonita Peña, watercolor, Helen Hardin, Navajo Nation, Pablita Velarde