Cochiti Pueblo Original Painting of a Rabbit Hunt by Joe A. Quintana [SOLD]

Little has been published about Cochiti Pueblo painter Joe A. Quintana—not to be confused with Joe H. Quintana, who was a silversmith and the father of Cippy Crazyhorse.  One might assume that Joe A. Quintana was related to well-known Cochiti painter Ben Quintana, but a knowledgeable collector has informed us that the two men were not related.  According to this collector, Joe A. Quintana passed away 5 to 10 years ago.

Clara Lee Tanner’s Southwest Indian Painting: A Changing Art provides a bit of information about Quintana: “Quite a number of other young people from Cochiti started painting at the Indian School in Santa Fe; among them was Joe A. Quintana.  He did several paintings with the title, ‘My Community—Its Place in the Nation’ for (an) American Magazine contest.  In one of them, men and women in typical pueblo dress and jewelry are going about their daily activities; there are also suggestions of ritual activities.  A small pueblo is pictured with a large symbolic rainbow overhead. A second painting of the same title is more preoccupied with outside contacts; for example, there are pictured a schoolhouse, a church, a flagpole, and other evidences of outside influence.  Joe Quintana also painted individual village scenes, such as Koosa Leading Corn Dance.  Seemingly, he did little or no painting after he left school.”

This watercolor painting makes one wonder: why didn’t Joe A. Quintana continue painting?  It’s a strong image, composed with skill and enthusiasm. Quintana’s subject here is a man on horseback, chasing a rabbit, with a club raised above his head.  Dogs run alongside the horse, also in pursuit of the rabbit. Behind the action, bright green plants and gray rocks line the ground, which is represented by a pair of lines in black and orange.  Quintana’s colors are strong and bright. His human and animal subjects are defined by fine outline work. The image suggests that this young Cochiti Pueblo artist might have been influenced by famous Diné painter Quincy Tahoma.

The painting is signed Quintana ‘41 in lower right. It is placed under archival mats in a simple wood frame.  The following text is written on the back of the painting: “Rabbit Hunt, Joe A. Quintana, Cochiti Pueblo, Peña Blanca, New Mexico. $3.50, Summer Salary.”  Our framer cut a window into the backing, allowing the viewer to read this text.

Condition: very good condition with minor imperfections in the paper

Provenance: this Cochiti Pueblo Original Painting of a Rabbit Hunt by Joe A. Quintana is from a private collection

Recommended Reading: Southwest Indian Painting: A Changing Art by Clara Lee Tanner

TAGS: Cochiti Pueblo,  Joe H. Quintana, Cippy Crazyhorse, Native American Painting, Joe A. Quintana