Original Painting titled “First Woman & Sun Father” [SOLD]

David Chethlahe Paladin (1926-1984) was a Diné painter who received his initial artistic education from Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School.  The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Paladin’s work is in the collections of the Albuquerque Museum, the Heard Museum, Arizona State Museum and the Museum of Northern Arizona, among others.  Some of the most notable honors bestowed on him include: Newsweek, cited as nation's "leading Navajo modern artist," 1975; Carnegie Medal for Achievement in the Arts; Cambridge University Distinguished Service to the Arts and Education Commendation, 1970; International Biographical Center, London, England, Distinguished Service in Education and the Arts, 1976; and Distinguished Achievement Award, 1976; Italian Academy of Art, Gold Medal, 1981; Santa Fean Magazine, Artist of the Year, 1981.

“First Woman & Sun Father” is an acrylic painting completed on an artist board.  It’s a small piece, but its strong colors and interesting composition make it quite powerful regardless of its size.  Paladin began with an artist board measuring about 9 inches by 12 inches. He used an atomizer to coat the board in layers of orange, green, black and yellow.  These colors vary in intensity, becoming thicker and more concentrated in certain areas. After allowing his background to dry, Paladin added the First Woman, Sun Father, and a blue and black pueblo rain cloud design with lightning.  These designs, with their circles, rectangles and triangles laid atop and beside one another, are incredibly alluring in their simplicity. One must not be familiar with Diné mythology to appreciate the beauty of this painting.

On the back of the board, Paladin wrote the following: “First Woman & Sun Father - with First Rain - The lightning from first rain became a symbol of the Sun Father’s ability to create life. - Navajo Legend.”  The painting is signed “Chethlahe” in its lower left corner.

Condition: this Original Painting titled "First Woman & Sun Father" is in excellent condition

Provenance: from the large collection of a New York resident

Recommended Reading: Painting the Dream: The Visionary Art of Navajo Painter David Chethlahe Paladin by David Paladin (author)

Note: when we say Diné, as opposed to Navaho or Navajo, we are referring to the people and not the government.  Since 1969, their government refers to itself as the Navajo Nation.