Quincy Tahoma Original Painting of Diné Woman and Horse [SOLD]

C4699D-paint.jpg

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Quincy Tahoma, Diné of the Navajo Nation Painter
  • Category: Paintings
  • Origin: Diné of the Navajo Nation
  • Medium: watercolor
  • Size:
    21” x 12” image;
    30-⅛” x 20-⅛” framed
  • Item # C4699D
  • SOLD

This original watercolor painting was created by Quincy Tahoma, an influential Diné of the Navajo Nation artist. While many of his peers explored ceremonial scenes and depictions of various spiritual symbols, Tahoma focused largely on the physical world, creating remarkable depictions of hunters, animals, and daily life. Other Dine artists explored these subjects too, of course, but Tahoma did so in a uniquely detailed, representational style.

With this image, Tahoma offered a serene depiction of a Diné woman and her horse. The woman puts her arm around the horse's neck, and they look directly toward the viewer. Tahoma's color palette is bold and bright, and his figures are rich in detail. The ground below their feet and the activity in the sky up above display the influence of established Diné styles, with the addition of the depth and sharp detail for which Tahoma is known.

The painting is signed and dated “Tahoma “‘56” in lower right. As is common for a Tahoma painting, a small illustration above the signature shows what happens after that which is depicted in the painting. Here, we see the horse galloping at full speed with the woman on its back.The painting is signed Tahoma and dated ‘56 in lower right. As is common for a Tahoma painting, a small illustration above the signature shows what happens after that which is depicted in the painting. Here, we see the horse galloping at full speed with the woman on its back.

Quincy Tahoma (1917-1956) Water Edge (Near Water) was an influential Diné painter who lived a short life but made a significant impression in the world of Native art. Dorothy Dunn praised his talents in her book American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas: "Tohoma's [sic] style changed from serenity to one expressive of near violence—from quiet, pastoral scenes and orderly ceremonial patterns to highly agitated portrayals of animals, hunts, and battles that glorified struggle and cruelty. Yet it is the latter work for which he is most recognized, and which extends his natural powers of draftsmanship and imagination. Through his individual studies of foreshortening and anatomy, Tohoma [sic] won for his pictures high praise from academically trained artists of note, and the admiring response of the public. Whatever one may think of these later paintings as Indian art, he must recognize the command of techniques and devices of the artist's own making which convey the opposition and impact of brutal contests in all sorts of situations on the hunting ranges of the old days." Tahoma passed away in 1956, at just 39 years of age.


Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Quincy Tahoma Original Painting of Diné Woman and Horse is from a private New Mexico collection

Reference: American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas, by Dorothy Dunn

TAGS: NavajoNative American PaintingsQuincy Tahoma

Close up view of a section of this painting.

Quincy Tahoma, Diné of the Navajo Nation Painter
  • Category: Paintings
  • Origin: Diné of the Navajo Nation
  • Medium: watercolor
  • Size:
    21” x 12” image;
    30-⅛” x 20-⅛” framed
  • Item # C4699D
  • SOLD

C4699D-paint.jpgC4699D-large.jpg Click on image to view larger.