Participants in the Yellow Corn Dance by José Encarnación Peña

José Encarnación Peña: The Yellow Corn Dance 

This quintessential piece by celebrated San Ildefonso Pueblo painter José Encarnación Peña (Soqween, 1902-1979) was created in the final, highly productive years of his life, often considered his finest period. Peña frequently depicted groups celebrating dedicated traditional dances; this one celebrates the Yellow Corn Dance.

The Unique Front-Facing Perspective

The Yellow Corn Dance, a principal ceremony celebrated during the spring to promote the growth of corn, typically involves lines of male and female dancers alternating between the North Side and South Side kiva groups.

What makes this painting particularly unique is that the four dancers (two male and two female) are featured front-facing, rather than in profile. This allows the viewer an unparalleled opportunity to fully appreciate the detail of the traditional regalia and the expression of the participants.

Regalia and Detail

The painting is a vibrant example of Peña's bold, simple style, with thick blocks of color defining the subjects.

• The male dancers are depicted in traditional embroidered kilts with a white woven sash hanging off the right side. They carry a rattle and an evergreen bough in their hands.

• The female dancers are dressed in traditional Pueblo clothing and hold two ears of corn embellished with evergreen.

• All four dancers wear moccasins.

The painting is signed "Yellow Corn Dance Soqween".

Soqween's Distinctive Style

Peña, whose Native name was "So Kwa A Weh" (Frost on the Mountain), painted at San Ildefonso alongside contemporaries like Tonita Peña and Romando Vigil. Although he was less prolific in his early years, the last ten years of his life saw him become highly productive.

Soqween's work is instantly recognizable. While his works share the spirit of the "flat" style taught at the Santa Fe Indian School, his approach is a charming and unusual variation. He often used just two or three thick blocks of bold color, making the color itself, rather than the light gray outlines, the primary tool of his composition. This preference for the direct, head-on view distinguishes his ceremonial and home life subjects, earning him representation in major collections including the Museum of New Mexico and the Denver Art Museum.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this original painting of Participants in the Yellow Corn Dance by José Encarnación Peña is from a client of Adobe Gallery

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