Original Painting of Single Figure Female Dancer [SOLD]

Stephen Mopope (1898-1974) was a painter, musician and dancer who was born and raised on the Kiowa Reservation. Mopope received a traditional Kiowa childhood education from his grandmother. Later, he studied with Susie Peters of the Kiowa Agency in Anadarko, Oklahoma, and attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Mopope would go on to become the most prolific member of a group of influential Oklahoma artists known originally as the Kiowa Five and ultimately as the Kiowa Six. The Kiowa Six-Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Stephen Mopope, Lois Smoky, and Monroe Tsatoke-was a group of influential artists whose works are displayed in museums and prominent collections around the world. Their style was, in some ways, similar to that of the Pueblo Indian painters, but it is unlikely that either group influenced the other. The work of the Kiowa Six evolved naturally from traditional Plains Indian hide paintings and ledger art.

Dorothy Dunn’s American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas provides a brief but informative comparison between the two groups: “In comparison to contemporary work of the Pueblo School, Kiowa painting, in general, appears broader in treatment, heavier in color and stronger in color contrasts, more uniformly stylized and more emphatically decorative.  Many paintings are of single figures or small groups; large ceremonial compositions are seldom seen in work of this period. Seated and rear-view figures, and portrait-style heads are fairly common in Kiowa painting, whereas they are rarely found in paintings of most other tribes.” Further into her book, Dunn praises Mopope, specifically: “Mopope’s painting has more emotional quality, greater delicacy and differentiation, pleasanter balance in the strong tones and more frequent use of lower values to offset solid blacks and intense spottings of white.  The faces have mobile variation and less of stereotyped rigidity, expressing diverse moods.”

This rare, early painting by Stephen Mopope was completed in 1929—much earlier than the majority of his pieces that are available on the market.  It’s rare not just in age but also in subject matter. Here, Mopope provides a wonderful depiction of a young girl. She faces the viewer directly, turning her head slightly to the left and holding her hands behind her.  This position allows the viewer an unobstructed look at her clothing, which is, in typical Kiowa fashion, the painting’s most immediately appealing feature. Mopope’s color choices are striking, with the highlights being the soft purple used for her dress, the orange used for her blanket, and the unusual, almost metallic silver used for her belt.

A closer look at the image reveals what might be its most remarkable characteristic: the girl’s face, which is portrayed skillfully and sensitively.  Her face has a gentle charm that is hard to define but undeniably appealing. Dunn’s assessment of Mopope’s gift for painting expressive faces—”less of stereotyped rigidity, expressing diverse moods”—is proven by this piece to be an accurate one.  It’s a small piece, which works in its favor. It’s placed underneath a wide, white mat, inside an elegant frame. This is a very strong presentation that will most certainly excite collectors who appreciate rarity.

Condition: this Original Painting of Single Figure Female Dancer is in original condition

Provenance: private collection of a Santa Fe family

Recommended Reading: American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas by Dorothy Dunn

Relative Links: Native American Painting, Stephen Mopope, Kiowa Nation, 

*The Kiowa Six, previously known as the Kiowa Five, is a group of six Kiowa artists from Oklahoma in the early 20th century. They were Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Stephen Mopope, Lois Smoky, and Monroe Tsatoke. -Wikipedia