Pair of Diné Paintings of Blue Fawn by Beatien Yazz [SOLD]

This pair of watercolor paintings of fawns was made by Diné artist Beatien Yazz.  They are a fine example of the artist’s ability to create sweet, beautiful images.  Yazz, like many of his Diné peers and predecessors, often worked in this format—the matched pair.  We have handled many pairs like this, but this is one of Yazz’ finest.

These are classic Yazz animals, in that they are cute, appealing, and crafted very carefully.  Their eyes are exaggerated in size even further than usual.  They are pictured in profile, jumping over small patches of rocks and plants.  One is just taking off; the other is landing.  They are composed of a brilliant blue.  It remains rich and beautiful, and has not faded in the years that have passed since the creation of the paintings.  To create the fawn’s textured faces and lighter-colored legs and abdomens, Yazz added lighter blues that ultimately blend into bright white.

Each painting is signed “B. Yazz” in lower right.  The frames are carved wood with a soft gold stain.  Each frame has an interior band that is painted blue, matching that which was used in the painting.  This excellent framing suits the paintings wonderfully, creating a strong presentation out of these two beautiful paintings. 

Beatien Yazz (1928-2012) Little No Shirt (Jimmy Toddy) was a painter who was born in 1928 on the Navajo Reservation.  At an early age, Yazz met Bill and Sallie Lippencott, traders at the Wide Ruins Trading Post. They recognized Yazz’s talent and made available to him scraps of paper and other equipment so that he might practice his artwork.  Alberta Hannum’s book Spin a Silver Dollar tells the story of the Lippencotts and the young Navajo boy they encouraged. The book was illustrated by the boy himself—Beatien Yazz. He served in the U.S. Marines in World War II and was a member of the famed Navajo Code Talkers. Following the war, he returned to the reservation and began to paint in earnest. He specialized in subjects familiar to him in his daily life on the reservation. He has been eminently popular with collectors since the 1950s.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Pair of Diné Paintings of Blue Fawn by Beatien Yazz is from a private Idaho collection

Recommended Reading: Yazz—Navajo Painter by J. J. Brody, et. al.

Relative Links: Navajo Reservation, Spin a Silver Dollar, Paint the Wind, paintings, Beatien Yazz, Navajo Nation Painter