Original Painting "Buffalo Hunt" by Quincy Tahoma [R]

When this painting was completed in 1948, Quincy Tahoma was very active.  His friends who had joined the military for World War II had returned home and Tahoma was in love with a young lady in Santa Fe.  The overall activity in Santa Fe was bustling and sales were good for him.  He was displaying his art at the studio of T. Harmon Parkhurst and residents were actively purchasing it.

The Museum of New Mexico Gallery had featured Tahoma's work in the summer of 1946 and also forwarded two of his paintings to Oklahoma for the first annual Philbrook Indian Art competition at which Tahoma won first prize in the Southwestern painting division of the competition.  He had achieved the status as one of the best Indian painters in the land.

One of the subjects Tahoma loved painting was that of a buffalo hunt.  He seemed to thrive on the active style of running buffalo. In this painting, there are four buffalo, or bison, in the foreground running away from the two Indians on horseback with drawn arrows in the background.  The Indians and horses may appear small but their detail is extraordinary.  The cartouche signature block shows a couple of the bison stumbling after being hit with arrows although there is no blood or kill in the actual painting.

For anyone interested in the life and art of Tahoma, I strongly recommend the recently-released book Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist by Havens and Badertscher

Condition:  there is some discoloration of the paper at the very top of the painting.  It is currently visible but could easily be concealed if re-matted.  There is plenty of room to cover the discoloration with proper matting.

Provenance: from the collection of a resident from Santa Fe

Recommended Reading:  Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist by Havens and Badertscher

There is writing on the back of the painting by the artist: 

This painting is signed lower right and dated 1948.